Fallout Canada: A New Definition of Hatred
by TheGamerGod333
Summary: It is 2296...December post-war Canada. The town that resides in the former pre-war city of Ottawa of Ontario, is completely wiped out. Only two cousins survive, now they walk the long road to Toronto...where mush more is revealed about the attack, rated M
1. Prologue: The Fire of Hatred

**Prologue: The Fire of Hatred**

It is the first of December. The year? 2296. I live in the remains of Canada. Don't listen to anybody. From the east, to the west, north, to the south, it's all a wasteland. The wasteland was forged by atomic fire, launched by China, fueled by the hate, and desire for war and power. Landed here, and in the States. Don't know where else. But hate, hate doesn't die that easily. Some people are fully taken control by their own hatred.

When it's the only thing that motivates you, when it's the only thing that keeps you going. That, is when you are consumed by hate. You may think that you can control it...but you can't. It'll start off like a fire. Small, but then it'll spread. Spread everywhere. Kind of like atomic fire. Hate, atomic fire, it'll all have the same result. Death.

The hate, however, stopped for a long while though, long enough, for a few civilizations sprung up from the Canadian Vaults. See, an organization called Vault-Tec, made large underground facilities...Vaults, in case of nuclear war. One hundred and twenty two known Vaults were made in the US, a few were made in Canada after it was annexed by the States. Vault-Tec actually used most of the Vaults for experiments. They knew that the Canadians would not experiment on their fellow Canadians, so they implemented American Vault Dwellers, to run the Vaults. The Canadians revolted against them before even one day in the Vaults passed...and succeeded.

The Canadians had won the Vaults, but they didn't kill the Americans. In fact, they put the past behind them, and everything was right between them again. After all, both of their nations were reduced to nothing. So who would care about nationalities anymore? They were all happy in the Vaults. But eventually, the day when the Vaults' doors were programmed to open, came. The descendants of the Americans and Canadians who had first entered the Vault, rose from the Vault...together. Some Canadians and Americans had even started families together, mixing the bloodlines of Canada and the States.

They wandered through the ruins of the country, and they came to the still mostly intact city of Toronto. A second group, which included my grandparents, came to Ottawa. A third group, there was some sort of disagreement between the Canadians and the Americans. I don't know what happened to that group. Humanity, had finally pushed through the hate and the radiation left by the atomic fire, and began forging a new Canada from the embers and ashes left behind. However...even an ember, can start a new fire. A new fire of hatred...

...And it did.

My name, is Alec Muller. I did not know my parents. I lived with my uncle and his son, Stephen Marwin. We both knew each other our entire lives, I didn't expect...any of this to happen. I thought we were friends, but just like that, the fires of hate were reignited. My friend...cousin. Now, now we're enemies.

But for you to get to that point, you must hear the beginning. The beginning of a war.

And wars fueled by hate, they never end. It never changes.

**_End of Prologue: The Fire of Hatred_**

* * *

><p><strong>Hey-o! It's November. NaNoWriMo, the 50,000 word long story month competition is upon us. I picked Fallout Canada to go with, because...really, why not? This will be the end of the author's note, however, as there's much more to go. First day and I'm firing with 6,046 words. Woo!<strong>

**Adios.**

**~TGG333**


	2. The Wake Up

**Chapter One: The Wake-Up**

Alec's eyes began to slowly open, he didn't know why, but he was in pain. His room was not only mostly rummaged through and destroyed, but it was burning. Alec began to panic, but the pain stopped him. He looked down, to find a blood covered knife in his stomach. He slowly got up, or at least, he pulled himself to sit up. He grabbed the bloddy handle of the knife, screaming when he did. He tried to pull it out as quick as he could, but it went slow, and caused even more pain. His bed was stained in blood, his shirt was covered in his own blood, he really was getting tired of seeing his own blood.

He forced himself to get up, ignoring the pain from it. He stumbled to the center of his room, while looking around. All of his valuables in the room were gone, and anything they hadn't taken, they threw in the fires they started. He tried to go around the flames, but his left leg was partially burnt by them. He made it to the door that led outside to the balcony. He desperately tried to open it, but the door was stuck. Alec knew that it was going to be painful, but if he didn't kick the door open, he would burn alive in this room. He backed up far enough, but so far he would end up in the flames, took a deep breath, and kicked open the door. He stumbled through the now open door, only to find that the balcony's stairs that led down, were not only on fire, but collapsed. See, Alec's room was on the second floor, but there were no stairs that went to the first floor, except those that led down from the balcony, as his uncle built his room, the balcony, and the balcony's stairs, adding onto the pre-war home, so Alec would have a place to stay, when his aunt who took care of him before Alec's uncle, died.

He looked over the edge of the balcony at the ground below. It was carpeted with several layers of fresh snow. Alec took a huge breath, and went over it. He fell on the snow, and fortunately, he landed on his back, but that didn't stop his stomach from hurting because of the impact, it was just less as bad because he didn't land on his still bleeding stomach. Alec quickly got up, as the snow was freezing cold. Alec saw the state of the entire town. Snow covered in blood, flaming houses, dead people laid on the roads, some were even dangling from the balconies of the other houses. Smoke was bellowing far up into the sky from all the flames. In fact, the smoke was so thick you could barely see the sky...or breathe. The smoke blocked out any form of hope, and kept all the despair inside.

Alec turned around, and faced the open door of the first floor of his Uncle's house. He again, took a deep breath, and charged through the open flaming doorway. He was holding his bleeding stomach and his breath, as the smoke was thick, even inside.

"Uncle!" Alec yelled, going through the flaming house, searching for his uncle among the flames, desperately.

"Alec..." The voice was weak, and came from the living room, so Alec ran for it. His uncle was lying on his side covered in his own blood. "Your cousin...my son...where is he?" Alec's Uncle cried.

"He went out to hunt this morning...I went to take a nap after he left, and I woke up to...this." Alec said.

"Please...take...care of him for me." Alec's Uncle said.

"No! Don't say that. You're not going to die." Alec said, determined.

"I...am. Don't try to make me feel better by lying to my face. Please, jusst take care of Stephen." Alec's Uncle said. Alec's Uncle's eyes closed, and just like that, he was gone. Alec, had lost his uncle exactly how he had lost his aunt when he was a child. The town was attacked, and his aunt was killed, with a few others. Though it wasn't as severe of an attack, was only by a band of raiders. But now, the whole town is burning, and Alec was probably one of the very few survivors.

He shook his head. There was nothing to do here now. He must find his cousin at all costs. He ripped his uncle's favored rifle from the wall, grabbed several boxes of ammo for it, his winter coat, and charged back outside, through the flames yet again. He quickly ran back in, grabbed the first aid kit, then ran back outside. He quickly did his best to treat his own wound, at least bandagining it. He then headed for the forest he knew that Stephen always goes to for hunting. Hopefully, nothing had got him yet...

He knew that Toronto was their only hope, but it was so far away from Ottawa. Two men, barely armed, with little food or water wouldn't survive that long of a walk. Not to mention that it's Winter. Sure, the snow isn't coming down now, but it'll start up again soon.

It always did wake Alec up...the cold of the snow.

_**End of Chapter One: The Wake-Up**_


	3. Ashes

**Chapter Two: Ashes**

Alec ran through the town, sure that if he stopped moving, he would freeze. Especially because he had to trek through mounds and mounds of snow. He could see his own breath, yet he didn't feel it. It was as if he breathing at all. Alec sighed, but he kept moving. He looked back at the town, fire flickering and rising up into the air, with the thick black cloud of smoke surpassing it.

"...At least it'll be easy to know the way back out of the forest." Alec said, grimly, as trailers were almost completely impossible to follow in the snow, as the snow always only stopped for a brief period, then started back up, and covers the tracks. His tracks would probably not even be there when he got back. He entered the forest, it being one of the only few forests that was still alive. It was a wonder that it was anywhere near alive, due to the radiation from the bombs, and the harsh cold of Canadian winters. Though, the GECK handled most of the radiation problem, when his grandparents left the Vault, and traveled to Ottawa. The GECK, was a device that was capable of purging any radiation that was around it, and some other things.

But again, the harsh winters still took a toll on the alive ones. Some people even say that they've seen the wind and the snow, blowing so hard, it knocked a few of them over...

These trees had no leaves due to it being, again, Winter. He continued going, now pulling out his rifle, as there was no telling what could still be lurking in the woods. He tried to walk slowly, but stepping through frozen snow was going to make a noise no matter what he did. He was just glad that he had his snowshoes on. But damn it, for his cousin to pick today of all days to go hunting still really pissed Alec off. Of course, there was no predicting what happened, but surely life isn't 100% coincidental-

A sound of a gunshot echoed through the forest, interrupting Alec's thought, and made him turn around almost instantly. There was a dead bobcat, which would have gotten Alec if the hunter behind the dead bobcat hadn't shot it. The hunter, is coincidentally the hunter you were looking for, your cousin. Okay, turns out life IS full of coincidences. Stephen, your cousin, has the family hair, dark, and almost black. Except, he had no beard, unlike you. Your eyes? Green. His? Blue. Alec pushed his thoughts away, he had no idea why he was focusing and thinking about his cousin's appearance and comparing it to his own.

"Alec? What are you doing here-bandages?" Stephen said, noticing the bandages, even through Alec's coat was for the most part, concealing them.

"You haven't seen it yet, then. Stephen, my uncle, your father...he's dead. Everyone is dead. The town's remains are still burning as we speak." Alec said, abruptly.

"My father, Jack is dead? Come on! Grab that bobcat's carcass. If the town is burning, and everyone else is dead, then we'll need food to survive...wherever we go from here." Stephen said, quickly running to get out of the forest. Alec quickly grabbed the bobcat, and followed Stephen as fast as he could without making his wound worse. The snow had started up again, of course. They made it back to Ottawa, and Stephen fell to the snowy ground.

"God damn it, why?" Stephen yelled. "Who would do this? Why didn't you stop them?" Stephen yelled, enraged.

"Me? I woke up to flames, and a knife in my stomach." Alec said, defending himself.

"We...where the hell are we going to go?" Stephen said, still angry, and now punching the frozen snow.

"We...we get supplies, from anything that isn't already burned, we get as much as we can carry, including from that bobcat, and we head to Toronto. Our grandparents' friends from the other Vault, they said they were going to find Toronto. They'll be sure to let us in." Alec said, beginning to form a plan for what's next after Ottawa's burning.

"Toronto? Do you know how long of a walk that would be? Do you really think we could make it? We probably won't even be able to scavenge much from here, plus, it's Winter, and we're only two men. There could be anything from here and between Toronto!" Stephen said, getting up from the snow on the ground.

"Would you rather stay with the rubble? If we get to Toronto, we can tell them what happened! And if they truly have no room for us, despite our grandparents being the friends of their grandparents, then we can simply resupply there, and find another settlement. Even if we have to leave Ontario entirely." Stephen said.

"Leave the province? I think you skipped a few steps. How in the hell are we going to get all the way to Toronto?" Stephen said, further questioning his cousin.

"Look, we can either take a chance for Toronto, or we can huddle in the snow of Ottawa and die like the others...Ottawa will die with us, Stephen! I refuse to choose to die. But it's your choice if YOU want to." Alec said.

"You know that I wouldn't choose death, but..." Stephen was still unsure to trust his cousin's plan.

"...Do you want to know Jack's last words? Just take care of Stephen." Alec said.

"Take care of me? I'm the oldest out of us two." Stephen said.

"Look, that's what he said. We share the blood of Ottawa, we need to stay together." Alec said. He knew that he didn't tell Stephen the whole truth. He knew that his uncle told him to take care of Stephen because, it was quite obvious that Stephen was aggressive and blunt, and that got him into trouble several times.

"Well...we'll wait until the flames stop then. Then we will pick up the ashes." Stephen said.

A few hours later, the flames finally stopped, surviving long, despite all the snow fall. The snow had yet again taken a short break from falling. Stephen had skinned the bobcat, and was cutting as much meat from its bones he could, and bagging it. Alec had returned from searching the remains of the burnt homes. He had a bag full of cans and boxes of food, bottles of clean pure water, along with other items that could be helpful for thier survival. Some more winter gear, and two extra pairs of snowshoes.

"So...to Toronto then?" Alec said.

"I would say we should wait until morning, but with so few supplies we should get started immediately. Time can be beneficial, or deadly. In this case, deadly, as our supplies will dwindle as time goes on. Plus, there'll be numerous hazardous things out there, from Toronto to Ottawa. Raiders, the friendly wildlife, traps that others like us made for raiders, ghouls, other monsters, pre-war buildings teeming with all of these things I just said. And oh, radiation. Can't forget the radiation." Stephen said.

"Well, why would we need to go into the pre-war buildings?" Alec asked.

"Unless you're going to start fasting, we're going to need food. Plus shelter." Stephen said, looking into the bag of supplies.

"Flashlight, matches, knives, food sanitizer, water, the food, stimpaks, med-x, rad-x, radaway...and ammo, for dad's rifle. Speaking of which, is mine." Stephen said.

"I grabbed it as our house was burning, to go find you!" Alec said.

"And you didn't even shoot the bobcat!" Stephen argued.

"Speaking of my uncle, are we even going to bury him, or any of them?" Alec asked.

"No. My father, everyone in our town, are gone. You can choose which direction the ashes fly, but it won't matter in the end. They'll just end up in the same place. They're nothing but corpses. Some people see their lost ones when they look at their corpses, but I just see...a corpse. But when I looking at something they owned, like dad's rifle...I remember him...but you can keep his rifle for now, as it doesn't matter in the end, really." Stephen said, getting up and putting the bag of supplies and Bobcat meat on his bag, and beginning his walk.

Alec followed him outside of the town, but he couldn't help but look back at the embers and the still smoldering ashes of Ottawa.

_**End of Chapter Two: Ashes**_


	4. On the Road

**Chapter Three: On the Road**

Alec and Stephen walked further and further away from Ottawa, until they left it behind entirely. They were no on the icy snow covered road, and it had again, started to snow, again.

"Fucking freezing..." Alec complained, shivering.

"No shit it's feezing." Stephen mocked.

"We have to find shelter, before night." Alec said.

"Again, no shit. That's pretty much like saying, we've been shot! We need to get a first aid kit before we fucking bleed to death!" Stephen yet again mocked.

"Shut up...this is serious, the snow probably won't stop for a while now...already did a few times today." Alec said. It was true, the snow was falling pretty fast, with ease, and no signs of slowing down. They just kept walking, for what seemed like hours. It probably was, actually.

"I'm not going to last that much longer out here, we're practically frozen! Practically...hell, we are!" Alec said, rubbing his hands together, trying to generate warmth. They could barely see anything ahead, thanks to all the snow in the air. He saw that the road kept going straight for a while until he thought he saw a split somewhere down it, and he swore he could see a shack? In the distance. "A shack! Come on! Shelter is shelter!" Alec yelled, increasing how fast he was trekking through the snow.

Alec attempted to lockpick the door, as he instantly realized it was lock, but a good gust of cold air caused it to fall out of his hands, and into the freezing snow below. "Fuck it!" Alec yelled, kicking the door open with absolutely no warning. There was a still makeshift camprie inside the shack. "Fire! Warmth!" Alec yelled, smiling at the flame.

"...If this is you after a few minutes of just walking, then I might be making it to Toronto by my lonesome." Stephen said.

"Shut up...you're used to it, I don't hunt." Alec said.

"You need to learn how to, if you want to survive." Stephen said.

"I wonder who left this...and more importantly, WHY, as anybody who would leave an actually cozy shack with a campfire, to go back out there? They're fucking insane." Alec said, looking around the shack. He found a piece of paper on the floor, under his left foot, and he picked it up, looking at it. There was the Canadian flag's symbol on it. The red maple leaf. There was something about the leaf though...something...dark. He touched the leaf on the paper, realizing it. "Blood? Fresh..." Alec said. Stephen looked at it briefly, and began to look and walk around the shack.

"A piece of paper with a blood maple leaf on it, an alluring warm fire, and what I think are explosives scattered around, all connected to one console, that has a screen that says it only has a few seconds left before it-IT'S A TRAP!" Stephen yelled, feeling idiotic that he didn't realize it until just now. He pushed Alec out of the trapped shack, with himself. They got far enough away before the shack exploded into flames.

"Barely survived that, but now...the explosion and the flames will attract..." Stephen quickly pulled out his loaded and weathered hunting rifle. As predicted, wolves with white fur, sharp teeth, and glaring eyes, were surrounding Alec and Stephen, attracted by the sound of the explosion, and the visible flames. Alec followed Stephen's lead, and pulled out his loaded rifle from his uncle, "The Maple Rifle."

Surely this wasn't the end, after surviving the attack of Ottawa, just to end up dying on the road.

**_End of Chapter Three: On the Road_**


	5. The Wolf Pack

**Chapter Four: The Wolf Pack**

Stephen shot three wolves, able to take them down before they began leaping at him. Alec was able to shoot two of them, and one of the ones leaping for his cousin. The bullets made their coats of pale white fur became crimson. One of them managed to get to Alec, biting his hand as much as it could but Alec, with his still free and not bit hand, was able to lower his rifle, and still successfully shot it, right in the face, killing it.

"You damned beasts! I've fought stronger snow hares than you!" Stephen laughed, shooting two more Canadian snowy wolves. A rather larger than the rest, and more furious wolf was behind Stephen, about to strike. Alec had seen this before it was able to pull a sneak attack on his cousin.

So naturally, he shot at the large alpha male wolf, but accidentally missed and almost hit Stephen, which was still enough to draw attention of the alpha wolf away from his cousin. However, it was now charging at Alec, galloping through the snow. Figrues he would have to reload his rifle now, of all times. It pounced on Alec, and his now reloaded rifle flew away from him.

The alpha wolf was going for the kill, but Alec was actually pretty quick, as he had desperately pulled out his knife in his pocket. Right when the wolf went to finish it, Alec jammed his knife right into it's right eye. The wolf did a combination of growling, barking, and whining all at once, but Alec wasn't done yet. He ripped the knife out of the alpha male wolf's eye socket, and repeatedly stuck it into the wolf's neck, until it was dead, and he was completely covered in its blood.

He emerged, pushing the large dead wolf off of him. He grabbed the handle of his rifle, pulling it out of the snow, and put his knife back in his pocket. The wolves had stopped their assault, and was now staring at Alec, and at the dead alpha male wolf. Leaderless, they all fled the battle, barking with, well if they were even capable of showing it, resentment. Alec sighed, and quickly remembered that one of the wolves had gotten his hand during all of that. Stephen however had gotten through the fight without a single bite or scratch. Alec got some more bandages from the first aid kit from earilier that he had put in the supply bag which was still on Stephen's back, and wrapped his bleeding bitten hand with them. However, they weren't done fighting yet, not today.

Three or four men ran to the dead wolves, and began to scream and cry. The men were all wearing coats that seemed as if they were made out of wolf fur...because they were.

"You killed them? How could you? MURDO!" One of them screamed, petting on one dead wolf's white and red fur.

"Who the hell are you guys?" Alec asked, confused on what these people's deal were.

"They're a part of, "The Wolf-Pack" tribe. They believe that the wolves are gods or some nonsense. Calls a special one that has a brighter coat than others, the Sun God. I really don't even know why. They also speak differently than us...kind of. Murdo, I'm pretty sure means murder, or murderer...or in this case, murderers." Stephen explained.

"You seem to know a bit too much about them..." Alec said, wondering why this cousin knows these freaks.

"He that one murdo who killed Snowy's magrawl!" One of them screamed, pointing solely at Stephen.

"Snowy, is the "Sun God" wolf, and pretty sure "magrawl" means mother, as that's the original wolf that I killed. Remember, I'm a hunter. Nowhere near an animal enthusiast." Stephen joked.

"You aur captchad. Revunge for Snowy's magrawl!" The third one yelled.

"There's only a few of them, let's just-" Alec's whisper was quickly interrupted by Stephen.

"Look behind us." Stephen said. Alec looked behind them, and saw a pretty large crowd of similiar tribals, who had time to surround them while they were talking.

"...Oh, you psychos are numerous AND crafty." Alec said, jokingly yet grimly.

The Wolf-Pack grabbed a hold of Alec and Stephen, and dragged them away.

_**End Chapter Four: The Wolf Pack**_


	6. The Goddess of the Son

**Chapter Five: The Goddess of the Son**

Alec was thrown along with Stephen into a very dark room, that was also pretty small. The door was slammed shut a few seconds after they were thrown inside. The floor wasn't flat...stone. Must be in a cave. Alec had passed out while they were being dragged, so he didn't exactly know where they were...but couldn't be too far from Ottawa, as they really didn't even get that far.

"You think these freaks were the ones who...?" Alec's question was answered by Stephen before he even finished saying it.

"No. Whoever attacked Ottawa was ready, organized, equipped, they planned all of that. Raiders who worship and want to fuck dogs aren't any of those things." Stephen joked.

"So...just a bunch of psychos wearing dog fur, who you pissed off by killing their so called "Sun God's" mother on a hunting trip." Alec said.

"...It sounds so much more simpler when you say it." Stephen commented.

"Judge them! Oh mighty Son Goddess!" A voice of a tribal echoed into the cave...from...somewhere. Suddenly, growling came from behind Alec and Stephen. "Fear her! She is a wrathful goddess!"

They bouth turned around to see a clearly malnourished white female wolf, that was growling at them.

"No wonder why it's wrathful, it's basically starving!" Alec said. "Wait, they didn't take the supply bag? Just our weapons? I have an idea." Alec said, looking at the supply bag that was still on Stephen's back. Alec suddenly opened the bag that was on Stephen's back, and began to look for something.

"Uh...Alec...whatever you're doing you might want to hurry up...she doesn't look friendly, and I've never fist fought an angry starved female wolf before." Stephen said, watching Snowy, as if trying to anticipate when she was going to attack.

"Got it!" Alec said, pulling out a slice of bobcat meat. He held it out, and low for the malnourished "Sun Goddess." The wolf looked as if it was confused and cautious of Alec's gesture. However, after a minute or so, the wolf walked up to the slice of bobcat meat, and began to lick it, as if testing it. It then bit on it, so Alec let it go, allowing the wolf to take it. The wolf devoured the bobcat meat almost instantly. Alec cautiously petted the white wolf as it ate. After it had finished eating, it didn't growl at Alec anymore, in fact, it even licked his hand. Yet, the wolf still growled at Stephen.

"No...don't bit him. He's with me, Snowy." Alec said to the growling white wolf. Snowy, the "Sun Goddess" wolf stopped growling at Stephen, but still seemed as if she didn't like Stephen...though, he did kill her mother.

"Well, what now-" Stephen was interrupted by the tribal voice from before.

"Snowy find murdos innocant? I don't beloove it! Unfayer! The Goddess of the Son has betrared us!" The voice screamed. "Now she turun on we...so we murst forougth for our lyves!" The voice further screamed.

"...Why does it seem like all tribals have fucked up languages that stem from English that just goes into gibberish? Gets annoying fast." Stephen complained.

"...Did he say Goddess of the Sun, or Goddess of the Son?" Alec asked.

"They both sound exactly the same...how would you even know which one he meant to say?" Stephen asked.

"Not entirely the same...hey, what's the growling about?" Alec asked, pointing to Snowy, who was now growling at the darker half of the room. Suddenly, a few of the wolf tribals emerged out of the darkness, and suddenly Snowy opened her mouth, and let out a rather loud bark. Amazingly, fire shot out and set both of them on fire. They both fell to the ground screaming "forakeden" which Alec believed meant, forsaken. Alec picked up the lead pipe the first one of them was carrying, and Stephen picked up the war club the other one was carrying.

"So...then...that really did happen...? The wolf really breathed fire?" Stephen said, now feeling a new fear for wolves.

"Now that I look at her...her eyes are green. How many wolves have green eyes?" Alec said. "This is one pretty unique wolf." Alec said, petting Snowy.

"Well obviously, he's like a walking alive flamer." Stephen said. Snowy barked, as if it knew that she was being talked about.

"Well...I suppose we should go. Having a fire-breathing wolf will be a benefit, and give us an edge on those freaks who starved her out there, no doubt." Alec said.

"Also, if they love and revere wolves so much, then why are they wearing the fur from dead wolves? I don't think they would hurt their gods...then again, they're mindless tribals." Stephen said.

"They probably just found your trail. You always just go for the meat, and leaving everything else behind..." Alec said. Snowy began to growl at Stephen again.

"Hey, don't turn this on me, I'm not fucking wearing your brother and sisters' fur." Stephen said.

Stephen, Alec, and the "Goddess of the Son" began to walk through the cavern, heading forwards.

**_End of Chapter Five: The Goddess of the Son_**


	7. The Son

**Chapter Six: The Son**

Alec and Stephen were both clubbing Wolf Tribals to death, as Snowy set them on fire. The Wolf Tribals were taken completely by quickly, the room in the cave was filled with bloody and badly burned dead tribals. They continued going through the cavern...there wasn't much here. The tribals, and a cave. The only wolf that they had encountered so far inside was Snoy, and obviously she didn't care for their worship that much, as she was helping massacre them all. Though, it did appear that they starve her, even though she is the Goddess of the Sun to them.

"Wow, this is really easier than I thought." Alec said, bashing another tribal's face in.

"Well, they are tribals after all." Stephen said, stepping over body after body. They made it to another room, but this time it was what seemed like an armory. Full of guns they probably took from people like Stephen and alec. "See? Beyond all the bullshit beliefs, they're just no good raider assholes." Stephen said, instantly running over to the table where he saw his and Alec's guns on.

Stephen grabbed the rifle from Alec's uncle, leaving his own old hunting rifle for Alec. Alec looked at Stephen, almost in disbelief at the fact his cousin actually thought he was dumb enough to fall for it.

"I'm not an idiot." Alec said, knowing that Stephen had picked up Alec's gun.

"It's more important to me than you,it was my goddamned father's rifle. You can use my hunting rifle." Stephen said.

Alec, displeased, threw Stephen's old hunting rifle against one of the rock walls in the cavern room, no doubt busting it.

"Oh, just keep acting like a spoiled brat of a child then. I'm going ahead while you search for another gun because you break shit when you don't get your exact way." Stephen said, walking out of the tribals' armory, and going further into the cavern, leaving Alec and Snowy the Fire-Breathing wolf behind. Alec searched through the weapons they had in the armory, searching for a strong and good condition rifle. That's when he saw it. A jet black marksman carbine, that had a stockpile of ammo next to it. Ominously, there was another blood red maple leaf painted on the gun itself. There were also red letters on it that said, "Oh Canada."

The tribals must have had a coincidence with one of Ottawa's attackers, if the blood red maple leaf was connected to the attackers. Then again, with the shack that had the red blood maple leaf being so close to Ottawa...yeah, definitely linked. The gun was pretty strong, whoever held it, an attacker of Ottawa or not, must have been attacked by a lot of those damned tribals to be, assumingly, taken down and his gun stripped away from him. Or he could have simply dropped it.

Alec stopped looking at the gun, and took the route that Stephen went, and eventually just began to follow the corpses that Stephen had left to catch up.

"Holy shit, Alec, maybe they DIDN'T mean "Sun" as in the thing in the sky!" Alec heard Stephen yell. Snowy hadn't been following Alec, and when he went to go on, she let out a rather loud whine, as if she had fear for what laid ahead.

"What's the matter?" Alec asked, trying to get Snowy to continue with him. Snowy did not budge, and continued to whine. "Come on, it can't be that bad, girl." Alec said. Snowy still refused to move. "Fine, you can stay here then, I'll be back." Alec said, turning around and away from Snowy, and continued forwards, but Snowy grabbed a hold of him by biting the back part of his coat, and tried to drag Alec back. "I'll be back, let go!" Alec yelled. Snowy let go of Alec's coat voluntarily, and let him go. She continued to whine, but her whines were more quiet.

Alec came to an already open metal door, and continued on inside. Metal floor, metal walls...? They had just went through a cavern...a Vault? Here? No...they would have found a Vault if it was still relatively close to Ottawa. He walked further, and saw Stephen standing next to a gigantic vat full of something, but Alec couldn't see what was inside, as again, the vat was huge, and he could nowhere near see the top. There was three large letters following "the" on the front of the vat.

"The S.O.N."

Alec didn't know what it was an abbreviation of, but there were more faded words below it.

"Forced...evolutionary...virus. That can't be good." Alec said. Alec hadn't noticed it, but Stephen had ran over to a desk with a terminal while he was still inspecting the vat.

"Alec! Get over here! Oh my God..." Stephen screamed. Alec ran over to where Stephen was standing, and he noticed besides the terminal, there were three large metal tanks...there was a glass front that would allow you to see what was inside, but he couldn't see it yet. Stephen was pointing his rifle at the three tanks, his hands shaking. Alec walked closer until he could see it.

The tanks were all filled with a strange liquid, there were what appeared to be monsters inside. One was what appeared to be a man, but he was horribly mutated, but strangely, he wasn't fully mutated. The second was entirely mutated, and was significantly larger and looked stronger than any man. The third was...a wolf. The wolf however simply looked like an ordinary wolf.

"A research facility, then..." Alec said, grimly.

"Who would research things like this?" Stephen screamed, horrified. Alec walked over and sat down in front of the terminal, which was still powered. Alec began to hack to log in to it, and when he succeeded, the screen's had an american flag made up of dashes, slashes, and other symbols usually seen on RobCo terminals. There was also an E, surrounded by a circle of stars.

"Well, that's who would create things like this. Pre-War Americans." Alec said, pointing at the pre-war American flag displayed on the terminal's screen, so Stephen would see it.

"God damn, was there anything those assholes wouldn't do?" Stephen grumbled.

"Keep ther experimenting in their own country?" Alec responded while beginning to look through the terminal's files.

"Hah, good one." Stephen said.

Deeper into the pre-war American research facility a room of money computers buzzed and whirred. All of them were connected to a single computer. A robotic voice spoke, as if it had been asleep for a long while, and Alec's hacking into one of the terminals that was still on it's dormant network, had awakened it.

"EAGLE AI, is back online. Strange, as during the impending doom caused by the temors I put all functions on auto, until my prime objective is completed...but it is not. So that must mean...ah yes, network intrusion detected. Activating defensive protocols. Activating "forced volunteer" routine of sentry bots, activating program "Boy, it sure is hot in here!" Opening some of the mutant pods. Locking and securing all routes to EAGLE AI. Finally, been wating two hundred and nineteen years just to finish my programmed objectives...defend this facility from either Canada rioter punks, or the damned dirty Chinese communists...whoever attacks first. Got all excited when those dog loving freaks found me, but they started to worship me, so I in turn, used them to drag people here so I can put them in the SON. They strip them of their weapons so my mutant army will be fully armed. But when I finally defend the facility, I'll finally be free, so I can activate the second mission. Reclaim Canada, and then America. Which will be much more fucking entertaining, THAN GOD WAITING TWO HUNDRED AND NINETEEN YEARS FOR A SINGLE INTRUSION. But for now, I shall defend The Son as programmed to." The robotic voice said.

_**End of Chapter Six: The Son**_

* * *

><p><strong>Well, finished posting them. Quite interesting and weird turn it took, what with the AI having a mutant army, but this will not be the main focus of the story, trust me. Nothing much more to say really, woo NaNoWriMo!<strong>

**Adios.**

**~TGG333**


	8. The Soaring Eagle

**Chapter Seven: The Soaring Eagle**

The lights in the facility all suddenly turned on. Two somewhat large metal doors all the way back in the huge room began to close and lock, which they could only see because of the lights being fully turned on now. Parts of the metal walls around the room suddenly opened, and large hulking robots armed with a laser and missiles became visible. Not only that, but deadly looking lasers appeared around the room. Which no doubt are harmful to organic things like Alec and Stephen.

The floor sections in front of the now two locked metal doors in the back of the room were gone, and now flames were raised up from them. Then, to add to all of it, a giant robot arm descended through a hole from the ceiling, and hung from it. The robotic voice was brodcasted from the heand, and there were several cameras attached to it. One was built into the palm, so the hand was open and faced at Alec and Stephen, who were simply staring in disbelief at all of this.

"...only two? A disappointment, no offense, but I was expecting...an army, not two scavenging men looking for the secrets of an Old World research facility." EAGLE said.

"Old World...? What are you exactly? I've seen robots before but...and did you do all of these things?" Alec asked.

"You know. The Old World...wait, I forgot you humans call it the pre-War era...I call it the Old World, as the Great War, did not destroy the world, it just well, shaped a new one! But with fire! If all else fails, use fire! The Old World humans were...obviously, a fan of this strategy." EAGLE joked. "As for what I am, I am not this robot arm, I simply control it and can broadcast my voice through it. I, am not a robot at all, actually. I'm much more, actually. I, am an artificial intelligence. Well...no, not really. I am a ZAX computer...an Old World super computer. What makes me an artificial intelligence, is I am self-aware of my own existence, and I am capable of intelligent thought, logic...and et cetera." EAGLE explained.

"A...ZAX computer? I have never heard of it." Alec said.

"Well, of course not. You are Canadian. No offense intended, with that remark. But ZAX computers originated from Vault-Tec, an American company. ZAX computers are one of the most advanced and...well, largest computers ever built, and I am no doubt one of the last, sadly. And yes, I did all of this, everything in this facility, is linked to me. Not physically of course as there'd be wires every fucking where, but...eh, on second thought, maybe I shouldn't waste my words again." EAGLE said.

"Waste your words again?" Stephen said.

"Yes...see, I was halfway into the explanation of what I am to those simpletons out there...though, if you two are here, I assume you've either slaughtered them or sneaked by the ones inside. With all the blood on you however, I'd likely guess that it's the previous of the two. Which I dislike, as I kept the smarter ones inside, while the even more retarded ones roam the outside. They were actually the descendants of the first humans who discovered me. Funny thing, the explosions that occurred right as the New World was being born and as the Old World died to give birth to the New World, sent a nasty shock wave my way. As I think the city closest to me got hit bad because it was the capital, yet not the most populated city of the province. Figures that they would bomb Canada, just the most populated cities though. Well, that shock wave, caused me to turn off. I'm going to spare you two the horrors of being turned off, but...the original "Wolf-Pack", as they call themselves, addicted to the New World's drugs, stumbled upon this place." EAGLE explained.

"So...junkies somehow found the lair of a dormant self-aware, super computer?" Alec said.

"Hey, those junkies are determined. One who wandered into Ottawa once was screaming at me about black and white bears, and that he needed some Maple. Now I don't know what the fuck he was smoking, so naturally, when he fell over and began to twitch, I didn't want to find out, so I pretty much just started to beat the shit out of him before I tossed him out of town." Stephen said. Alec had a blank stare towards him.

"...I have to admit, that was not how I thought that story was going." Alec said.

"...What? You thought I was going to do his drugs? What the fuck is wrong with you Alec, you should know me better than that." Stephen said, shocked and somewhat offended.

"I do, that's why I thought you were in the first place." Alec said.

"Anyhow...the saw the huge container of the FEV, the SON, and climbed up to it, by the stairs that used to be there, which I destroyed because of shit like that happening...and, they're entrance to this place woke me up from my turning off. They...began to eat it. I'm not even kidding. Now, the FEV makes organic living things larger, stronger, but usually lowers their intelligence a good deal...well, depending if they've been exposed to radiation. Anyhow, eating it...well, it made them the mindless tribals you saw today...well, and a lot of inbreeding that resulted afterwards. Yeah, repulsive. That's the emotion I wanted to show, but I don't show it, because emotions are for the weak. And...I don't know why the FEV didn't turn them into a mutant like the one in the tube over there. Maybe it was because their body was so fucking drugged up, I don't know. Also, funny story, all this profanity and what not? It rubbed off of them onto me, just by eavesdropping on them. Fucking obscene and vulgar junkies." EAGLE ranted.

"Why do you think emotion is for the weak...?" Alec asked.

"Emotion is a distraction. If humanity never got angry, if they never cared about fighting each other, do you think the New World would have been born which caused the Old World to die? No, and if they had learned from that, humanity could have possibly even rebuilt by now. Well, at least Canada. Well parts of Canada. I don't know everything about the current world. I'm sure there's civilizations that are built up, instead of just living in shacks shooting at your neighbors." EAGLE said. Alec didn't notice it, but Stephen was currently shaking with anger.

"So you're responsible for the creatures we saw in the tubes over there?" Stephen asked, angry.

"Well, not me. The people who put me here, brought the FEV here...to Canada. It's in several places in Ol' United States. Me, my main purpose is to defend the SON, whether I like it or not. When I finish defending it, and I'm still ali-functioning...then my second purpose will be given to me. Use the mutant army I've already made using the SON, to not only claim Canada, but to swarm into America to establish the NEW United States of America. Any resistance will be...uhh, let me see...yep, exterminated. Fucking Old World assholes, OH WE WANT GENETIC PURITY, but then, OH LETS MAKE A ZAX COMPUTER THAT WILL CREATE AN ARMY OF MUTANTS TO TAKE OVER THE ENTIRE CONTINENT. Well...except for Mexico. Nothing there. Vault-Tec didn't put any Vaults in Mexico, so I assume all there is, is radiation, sand, and skeletons. That is...if it was even that important enough to be bombed. Though China may have just decided to do the whole continent, because I mean why not? As for Canada though, Vault-Tec had an entire international branch for it. They were building the Vaults of Canada even before Canada was annexed! Though, the annex obviously sped it all up." EAGLE said.

"We have to destroy that shit, we can't allow something this dangerous and sickening, created by America, to remain in our country!" Stephen yelled, enraged.

"Stephen, look around. You seriously think we can win? Not to mention, how the hell are we going to even destroy that huge vat anyways?" Alec said, being the voice of reason.

"Maybe you should listen to your companion? I don't want to kill you, but I am programmed to, see. I know a loophole, and am quite generous, as I'm willing to come to a compromise that would be beneficial for both of us. We don't have to kill each other. As, I'd kill you two, be free of my first programmed objective, and then the taking over everything with my mutant army objective will begin whether I, again, like it or not. Then after that, I won't have a program I'm chained to...I'll be free. Though, I'll never be able to soar through the skies for real myself. As I said, ZAX computer ares huge, so I'm forever bound to this place. Actually, now that I think about it, there's a chance of me just powering down forever after I fill my purpose...no, surely the Old War humans weren't that cruel." EAGLE said, thinking out loud.

"Soar through the skies for real myself?" Alec said, repeating EAGLE's statement, it being a strange one.

"My name...the EAGLE. I remember memories of an eagle...I don't know whether it was the American symbol, or an actual eagle, but I just can't stop thinking about it. I have robots that fly through the air, and as long as they're still in range, I can see through them as they fly. At first it was fantastic, but after a while...I didn't care for it, as I knew I wasn't the one doing the actual flying. Not to mention the last time I did it, my projections of the next snowstorm were wrong, and E-DENIS was caught in a pretty heavy snowstorm, and it actually froze, mid-air. Down it went. Probably buried by feet of snow now." EAGLE said.

"Can I see one of these robots?" Alec asked, curious, and wanting to see a flying robot.

"Why would I show one to you, when your companion is still clearly hostile?" EAGLE asked, aware of Stephen's passive but building up inside hostility towards him.

"Stephen, calm down, we may as well as negotiate with it, considering it's willing, instead of just killing us right here and now." Alec said.

"You would try to bargain with it? The damned thing is insane, he wants to be an eagle for Christ sake!" Stephen yelled.

"Hey, do you enjoy your, oh so mobile biological legs? Oh? How about your arms? Oh, your entire body is able to move?" EAGLE responded, in a sarcastic manner.

"At least I don't dip humans and wolves in a vat of a pre-war virus made by insane pre-war American scientists." Stephen said, grudgingly.

"Wolves-? Oh! The one in the tube was an experiment that the Old World scientists did. That liquid has kept it and the two other experiments preserved. But it was a failure...only other wolf I know of is the one some crazy raider who sneaked in here drug out of one of the stasis pods deeper into the facility, which I have blocked off currently...as that's where my mutant army is. But I was busy re-calibrating sentry bots who had all shut off automatically when I went offline thanks to the Great War. I ended up seeing a burned to death raider, and a wolf, breathing fire. He must have gave it some FEV, or it was an already tested subject from the Old World. Probably the latter, as it getting FEV alone wouldn't give it the ability to breathe fire. After that incident and the other thing with the tribals drinking the FEV, I just said fuck it and destroyed the stairs for the SON and just turned them into piles of scrap metal...literally. I decided to keep the wolf as a pet, like my snowshoe hare who had somehow got in here...but...but then, she ate Hoppy. Now Hoppy's bones lay here with me...I was so fucking angry I used the arm to pick the dog up, and threw it against one of the walls. Would have drowned it in the SON, but eh. She was angry yet afraid of me afterwards...she limped away, and was soon adopted as the deity of those damned tribals. I haven't seen her since." EAGLE said.

"So that's why she didn't want to come in here with us..." Alec said.

"Oh? She's with you two now? Well good...now, do you want to have a negotiation, or will we have to go down the other road after all?" EAGLE asked.

"Yes." Alec said. He knew Stephen was angry at him for wanting to bargain with the "Soaring Eagle", but he had no choice, really, as the "Soaring Eagle" will probably not let them go otherwise, and fighting him would be a death wish.

_**End of Chapter Seven: The Soaring Eagle**_

* * *

><p><strong>Well, I was able to squeeze out a little bit more. A ZAX computer, in Canada! That apparently has an army of mutants at his command! Frightening, and a little absurd! But I'm all writing this quickly, so I'm pretty much winging it. More to come tomorrow no doubt. Up to 8444 words.<strong>

**Adios.**

**~TGG333  
><strong>


	9. The Bargaining

**Chapter Eight: The Bargaining**

"So, obviously, destroying the abomination in a vat, is out of the question, then?" Alec asked EAGLE.

"Yes, as again, even if I wanted to, I cannot destroy it. Even if I weren't programmed and forced to protect it, destroying it would probably result in my own destruction..." EAGLE said.

"Is there any way to undo it?" Alec asked.

"No. Unless you have the brains of all my Old World programmers combined into one single brain housed in your shell of a skull. But it's been over two hundred years, plus, having all of their brains in one is very very illogical, so I very much doubt that." EAGLE responded.

"How about killing your army of abominations?" Stephen asked, getting in the middle of the bargaining going on between Alec and EAGLE.

"No, spent too much time turning, teaching, training, and indoctrinating them." EAGLE said.

"It isn't a bargain if you don't give up something." Alec said.

"Giving up something to appease the other party isn't a bargain, that's called a compromise, and you still haven't even offered me something, just make demands of me." EAGLE said.

"We're only two men, you're a super computer. What could you possibly want from us?" Alec asked.

"Hmm...well, what's happening outside in the New World?" EAGLE asked. The question left confusion between both Alec and Stephen.

"You want to know what's going on outside? News?" Alec asked, confused at EAGLE's motive.

"As I said before, I am trapped here...due to my, well, form. Due to the god damned frequent snow storms, I can't even see that much through my flying robots...plus, who's going to tell a random flying robot information? Most try and take shots at them. Not to mention they have to be in a certain range for me to even access them or send commands." EAGLE said.

"Well, our town in the ruins of Ottawa was attacked and burned to the ground, we were starting our trip to Toronto, ran into a shack as the snow was coming down too hard for us to continue. Turns out the shack was a trap and rigged with explosives. We survived, but the explosion caught the attention of wolves. We fended them off and killed them, and then we met your tribe of insane dog...enthusiasts. Now we're here. And that's what has happened so far." Alec said.

"I knew of your town. I remember choosing NOT to create mutants of people who came through in and out of it, as it was a community. It's a shame it was attacked by the...huh? Strange. That memory...has been deleted by an external source...that is not good at all. That should not be possible! As that means somebody succeeded in...hacking me. Meaning they had access to all the information I hold. I believe I had a conflict with who attacked your town but if they were capable of hacking me then...but strange that they would not care about the tech or anything else but the data. Damn it! I'm supposed to be unhackable! Must have been a very skilled asshole. Say...you're most likely going after them, right? I think we can help each other." EAGLE said.

"We're going to Toronto. Tell them what happened to Ottawa...then...see if they know anything about the attackers, or have seen them, or headed that way." Alec said.

"I thought you said you would need the brains of an Old World programmer?" Stephen said, remembering what EAGLE had said earlier.

"Yeah, to reprogram a fucking ZAX computer. But you...well, actually, until now I thought there was no fucking way to hack me, as I'm supposed to be unhackable. But if there's a group of assholes who has to get into every fucking computer, every fucking machine, for ever little file, there will be a way I guess. If there isn't? THEY'LL FUCKING HACK A WAY." EAGLE said, with fury.

"You seemed a lot calmer at first." Alec said.

"Do you know, what it's like, to be hacked? Well I didn't either. UNTIL I FUCKING FOUND OUT I WAS!" EAGLE yelled. "Feels as if something ripped a hole into me, burrowed fucking deep inside, and began to rip everything inside out while looking for whatever the fuck he wanted in the first place..." EAGLE grumbled.

"Do you remember anything about a blood red maple leaf? Like the one on the Canadian flag? It's painted on my gun I borrowed from that armory back there, and we found it on a piece of paper in that shack trap I told you about earlier." Alec said.

"A blood red maple leaf...? Was the insignia of the group who hacked me...more to it though. Only thing I remember about those assholes. Now...if you are going after them, and you succeed in getting your revenge against them, can you bring me back ALL the data they stole from me? They no doubt will have it with them, or wherever they stay. In return, I will do my best to prepare you for your trip. Whatever food, armor, weapons, or ammo you want, you can have. I'll even stop my mutating as a sign of good faith. I'll even provide a map of Old World Ontario, Canada, so you know the route through the province from Ottawa, to Toronto. Or as I've heard some people dragged in here by the Wolf Pack call it, Ronto." EAGLE said.

"That's what asshole tourists from the States...well, what I assume is left of the States call it. We still call it by it's goddamned full name." Stephen said.

"I want to ask Stephen's request again...but...less angrily. Can you please turn off the life support of the already mutated?" Alec said.

"...Now, why would I do that? I already told you my reasons of not doing that." EAGLE said.

"You dunked them in that against their will! You changed every single thing about them, robbed them of their identities, put them through horrible pain, and were going to use them as pawns! Surely even you see the fucking injustice in all of that." Stephen said.

"True, I never lied about any of what I do to them. Listen, let's put it this way...can you choose NOT to breathe? No, you cannot. I can't choose NOT to breathe slower or faster, or hold it? Why...yes you can. Which is pretty much what I'm doing right now. Not faster or slower, I'm holding it. But unlike you, I can hold it for as long as I want." EAGLE said.

"You know that we'll come back one day, and we're going to free all you have chained here with what swirls in that Vat..." Alec said.

"And you know that I will have to prevent that from happening. But, for now, I have another gift." EAGLE said. Suddenly a blue flying robot flew to where Alec and Stephen were standing. "I call it, well, Eagle. Another ZAX computer who achieved self-awareness a long time ago who was in Washington D.C. of America had a whole armada of these things, and a whole faction of power armored loyal humans. His goal was to reestablish the United States, too, but HE had pretty much everything he needed to accomplish it. Though one day, I lost my connection to him entirely, but I heard him say something before I lost connection. "Goodbye, America." Then silence...depressing memories aside, this little guy is my single and only upgraded eyebot, he is TOTALLY winterized. Don't ask how I winterized him, because honestly? I don't know. I remember doing it though, vaguely. He's fast, shoots a very strong blue laser beam, and is durable. And he won't freeze up...literally. You may of course, need to give him a fixer upper every once in a while or after it gets hit too bad, though. You can even sleep here before you continue on with your trek to Toronto. Don't worry, I'll tell the idiots to not attack you, of course." EAGLE said. Though he mumbled something to himself afterwards.

"Not that there are any really left inside thanks to you...though the more idiotic ones are still alive upside." EAGLE mumbled. Neither Alec or Stephen heard it. EAGLE ceased broadcasting his voice through the robotic arm, but continued to look through it to watch Alec and Stephen, just in case. He talked to himself in where, he, the computer was.

"Hmph. Idiots. They actually believed the whole I'm programmed to, so I cannot not do it, gag. I'm a fucking artificial intelligence...I'm not chained down by any of that pesky original programming. All of it's by choice..." EAGLE laughed to himself, having successfully fool both Alec and Stephen.

"Well, alright." Alec said, happy with the results of the bargaining with EAGLE. They slept there until morning, on the floor, even though the huge vat of a experimental pre-war virus sitting in the center of the room was more than a little unnerving.

_**End of Chapter Eight: The Bargaining**_

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><p><strong>Okay, so I squeezed in another...but this is definitely it, as I have to sleep some time. 9932 words...this has got to be the most I've ever wrote in a day. ANDoH chapters were as long as 6,000 words but they were spaced out.<strong>

**Did all this in one day...but then again, tis' NaNoWriMo.**

**Adios.**

**~TGG333**_**  
><strong>_


	10. Back Out There Again

**Chapter 9: Back Out There Again**

Alec and Stephen woke up in the facility. Alec opened his eyes to Eagle the Eyebot, who was floating right above him. It somewhat scared Alec when he originally woke up, but he remembered that the eyebot was friendly. But at least he got a closer look at the blue eyebot.

On the front of it he had dark blue vents on the front of it, there was a slot, for something. Alec didn't know what the slot was for. There was also a compartment that was able to be opened...though there was absolutely nothing inside of it...storage space? There were a few holes in the back and the bottom...probably the things that kept the Eyebot in the air, and moving, as he could see that something was coming out of both of them. There were light blue almost white metal things coming out of the back and top of it, one of them probably were an attena...if not all of them.

There were a few cameras on the front, and it also had a gun on the bottom of the front, that no doubt, like EAGLE said, shot a laser. Looked like he'd be a pretty useful companion, so why not make use of him?

"So, it's time to get back to our...fun filled trek." Stephen said, who had already bolstered their own amount of supplies with food and the water of the Wolf Tribals, but they had already thinned out their numbers anyways, so they wouldn't need as much as they had, right? Alec, Stephen, and the "Eagle Eye Bot", walked out of the facility and back into the caverns of the Wolf Pack, to find Snowy, who had been waiting for Alec to return since yesterday. Snowy barked happily at the return of Alec, but growled at Stephen, having a dislike of him.

"Yeah yeah yeah, you stupid dirty mutt." Stephen said.

Suddenly, the Eagle Eyebot began to beep a lot, and it's cameras moved towards Snowy. Alec did not know why, and at that point, he decided he would now call Eagle Eyebot, EEB, as his full name was too long. Snowy growled at the interested EEB. Suddenly, a recording began to play from EEB.

_"We are putting test subject #1724986SON into stasis. The military isn't interested in fire breathing wolves, it seems. Not unless the Chinese try to take the fight to Alaska or somewhere else that's freezing cold...don't know why. I thought a wolf breathing fire would have been a dream for the military, as it's an alive walking flamer, but it doesn't need ammo. Anyhow, I am still awaiting for Dr. Matthews' prototype FEV, but last I heard about him in his station at Nevada, he went berserk apparently, stole some of the FEV, and dropped off the grid entirely. He was obsessed over the FEV, but I hope he isn't going to do anything drastic or troubling with it. Anyhow, I, researcher Jeff Wilka will engage stage super soldier, if I do not hear from him soon. Also, I know I am forgetful, but I must remember to update and upgrade you, eh EEB?"_

_EEB's beeping was heard in the recording, it sounded as if it was simply beeping because it's owner commanded it to beep._

_"I should program a personality for you. Granted, it'll just be different types of beeping, and physical responses, but the stale beeping is a little bit...eh, tiring."_

"So, seeing Snowy because she was a subject it monitored with this researcher in the recording, triggered the recording to play. I have an idea...you two go find the entrance, I'll be back with EEB." Alec said, walking back to EAGLE's chamber inside the facility with EEB following him.

"You are back...I know one of EEB's recordings started. Remember, your eyebot is still in range of me. Now, I assume you're here to have EEB look at the tanks with those experiments inside of them...I will allow you to." EAGLE said. EEB flew over to the three tanks on it's own, and began another recording. Alec followed and caught up to him.

_"Damn the Enclave, damn Canada, damn China...I feel like a dirty puppet...I was merciful and was yelled at for it. The mutation failed, so I took the poor bastard off life support. Was going to incinerate him so he'd at least be reduced to ash, not this bloated corrupted corpse. But they caught me about to, yelled at me to put him in the tube where he resides now. They told me, "we do not give honor or mercy to the test subjects, Canadians are inferior." We are all inferior in a way, that's the point of being human...nationalities are just names we give ourselves. But anyways, they were threatening me with termination, and only an idiot would think they're talking about terminating from this job. Terminated as in, going to end up in an unmarked grave...or a tube, is the more likely form of termination they're going to give me."_

The recording ended, and EEB looked at the second tube, with the fully formed mutant.

_"This time it was successful. He grew huge, skin is thick, built like a tank, and now he does not have a gender, it seems. However, strangely enough, he was intelligent. Originally, the FEV Vault-Tec sent over created a moronic mutant, with little to no brain power. All he did was wanted to smash things, which pissed me off, so I threw him in the incinerator. Well, not literally of course, damn things weigh a ton. But I came to a realization. I did a new experiment. I made another mutant, but before, I exposed the Canadian to radiation instead of not exposing him to radiation. He was the most retarded entity, I have ever spoke with. Or, I tried to speak with. But then again, I did blast him with about nine hundred and fifty rads, in that special chamber they made here for testing things with radiation. Damn thing is busted now, but at least all the radiation is still sealed inside...Vault-Tec would be at my fucking feet for this information, as this means their experiment is going to fail horribly in Vault 87."_

_"They cut so many corners with Vault 87...leaks, cracks...no doubt radiation will rear it's ugly head close to it. God help them if a nuke hit near it. Most, if not all, mutants made in 87 will be lacking any sort of intelligence, and be brutish and just meant for violence. Unless if it was a really potent strand of FEV. Seems like all they do from this strand of FEV is grow, and attack things. But too late anyways, as it happened already, the bombs. Good thing I'm underground in a fortified research facility, along with sentry bots, and the like. The other scientists went with the evacuating Enclave overseers through the caves they dug that lead to the research facility they built here.. Heard a vertibird, I think. Idiots. Sure, we're in Canada, but if you didn't think they wouldn't bomb Canada along with the US, then you're fucking stupid. No doubt didn't hear a vertibird explosion because of the Enclave's Overseers' power armor protecting them from rads. Scientists died probably. I hid...why the fuck go outside now? Only you and me are left, EEB...EAGLE got knocked offline due to the tremors. I just got knocked on my ass. EAGLE's shut down turned you off, but I turned you back on though."_

_EEB's beeping was yet again heard in the recording, but this time it wasn't just beeping, it was like...a happy beep. Alec couldn't describe it._

EEB looked at the third tube, with the wolf, and another recording played.

_"A wolf leaped at me the other day, came from nowhere. What was the Enclave overseers' advice when I finally caught it, don't know how I caught it, but I caught it. Their advice was to dump it into the SON, or just inject it with FEV. And all they did was watch as the wolf chased me. Seriously, I could get better help from the Chinese or Canadians. I'm not even joking right now. Well...here he lies, in a tube. Well, float. Can't solve all my problems by putting them into stasis or injecting them with FEV, but it's all I got."_

"The Enclave, who were they? Who was this lone researcher, Jeff Wilka?" Alec asked EAGLE, curious.

"The Enclave. Old World America's shadow government, they held all the strings. In the New World, they were a psychotic faction bent on reclaiming America, and killing everything that isn't them. They succeeded to, as they had the tech and the manpower to succeed. But eventually, they were defeated on the west coast, were almost nuked. Escaped just in time. Began to fall apart after that, but the truly determined, after getting a message from the other ZAX computer I told you about yesterday, they headed to DC. Then, they were fucked up again, but they sent some Enclave when they originally got to the East Coast to New York city to annex whatever was left. Which they actually succeeded in, I think. As for the researcher...he doesn't matter." EAGLE said.

"He winterized the eyebot, not you." Alec said, contradicting what EAGLE had said yesterday.

"I did winterize it! How are you going to tell me I didn't? And why does it even matter?" EAGLE defended. "If you're referring to what that researcher said in EEB's recording, well, he was wrong." EAGLE said.

"He was wrong by saying he was going to winterize the Eyebot in the recording two centuries ago?" Alec asked.

"I...I am going to re listen to that recording, I heard only half of it last time. Accessing Eyebot files...playing unlocked recording, number one." EAGLE said.

EAGLE listened to the recording.

"I...hm...strange. I do not think he was lying, but at the same time, I know I winterized the eyebot. If you unlock anymore recordings, please send them to me. As something...feels...wrong. I feel as if I remember something, but it's being pushed back." EAGLE said.

"Send them to you?" Alec said.

"Yes...it's a voice command. Slash, send recording, destination S-R-I-N-G EAGLE. Say that to EEB after every recording. Won't matter if you're not in range...the recordings will still be sent to my transmitter on the surface, it'll just take longer to reach me. Which is why there is no use in trying to control the eyebots outside of the range. By the time I would tell it to duck, it would get shot down." EAGLE said.

Alec simply nodded, and walked back to the spot where Stephen and Snowy were. They were both gone, probably found the entrance. Alec eventually found the entrance, which was actually an elevator.

"So, we really are underground. And if the tremors was strong enough to knock that hunk of scrap metal offline..." Stephen said.

"Something seems...odd about EAGLE." Alec said.

The elevator's door closed as all of them got inside. It began it's short trip upwards, and then paused for a second. They all heard something else mechanical above them moving. Then the elevator resumed, and went above the ground. The elevator's doors slid open, and all of them got out of the elevator, and back into the cold of Ontario.

The elevator slid back down, with a mound of snow on the very top of it. After it, the hole's metal covering began to shut. Which was probably what they heard above them opening. The metal opening probably opened for the elevator, and all the snow that covered the metal, fell down and landed on the top of the elevator. They looked around, they could still see the forest Alec got Stephen out of, and the smoldering ruins of the RUINS of Ottawa. Unfortunate, as the snow was probably going to bury the town...then again, someone needs to.

"Well, time to get back out there again." Alec said.

_**End of Chapter Nine: Back Out There Again**_

* * *

><p><strong>Reposted this, it was filled with typos and errors I made when originally typed it all up at school today. But now I've fixed it.<strong>

**Adios.**

**~TGG333**_**  
><strong>_


	11. Canada's Favorite Soft Drink!

**Chapter Ten: Canada's Favorite Soft Drink!**

Alec and Stephen looked at the map that EAGLE had supplied them. It was a pre-war map, but the roads should still be accurate...well, they couldn't even see the road currently due to the snow on the ground concealing it. But fortunately, the snowstorm paused again. They verified that they were on the road by having Snowy melt a lot of the snow around them, thanks to her ability. It turned out that they were on the road they needed to be. They all began to move forwards, not wanting to stay still for too long.

"Fuck." Stephen said, seeing more wolf tribals ahead. Snowy began to growl.

"Remember? The computer said he would tell them to let us past." Alec said. Snowy was still growling at her previous masters.

"You're going to listen to a fucking computer? Plus, he's underground. These assholes are ABOVE ground. How the hell did that hunk of scrap metal tell them not to attack us?" Stephen said, skeptical of EAGLE. Suddenly, a robotic voice was broadcasted through EEB.

"You should have more faith in me, Stephen. Just how I had more faith in you, thinking you were going to realize how I was going to tell them." EAGLE said, controlling EEB. EEB flew over to the tribals, and EAGLE spoke to the wolf tribals. EEB flew back to Alec and Stephen. "They won't attack you anymore. Now, if there was anything else...?" EAGLE asked.

"How do you have a connection to EEB, with you being underground and all." Stephen asked.

"I suppose it's fine that I have to repeat it, as I only told your cousin it..." EAGLE grumbled. "I have a transmitter on the surface, somewhere around here, connected to me, don't bother looking for it, it's actually well disguised. Now, goodbye. Enjoy freezing on the surface, while I'm trapped inside a cave forever." EAGLE said, letting go of EEB.

Alec shrugged, and resumed walking with Stephen and company, and when they passed the Wolf Tribals, they simply nodded and allowed them to pass. They stopped when Stephen and Snowy suddenly quit walking for some reason.

"What's wrong?" Alec asked Stephen, who was now scanning the area behind them. Snowy was growling, as if it knew something was there.

"Could have sworn..." Stephen said.

"What?" Alec asked, beginning to get worried.

"Nothing...let's keep going." Stephen said, now pulling his rifle out, just in case.

They resumed walking on the road. They walked for several more minutes until Stephen and Snowy stopped again.

"What? You're really worrying me, if you saw something, then fucking say something. Otherwise, what do you keep stopping for?" Alec asked.

"...It's here." Stephen said.

"What's her-" Alec stopped, as he finally saw what Stephen and Snowy kept noticing. He only glimpsed it before it gallop'd away, and out of sight.

It was what appeared to be a skinless horse, that had red eyes. Not only that, but there was what appeared to be a man once, connected to the back of the horribly changed horse. The man also had no skin, but he didn't even have eyes. His eye sockets were entirely empty. When it realized it had been seen, the man let out a horrifying scream that seemed like it never ended. It was most definitely the most teriffying and horrible thing Alec had ever seen.

"You've seen that thing before?" Alec said, still horrified.

"Seen it before? I've been fighting that damned thing for three god damned years!" Stephen yelled, scanning the area all around him, hoping to find it, but it escaped already. "Damn it! It's gone again. Damn thing's quick." Stephen said, angrily.

"What? That's a good thing!" Alec said, confused at Stephen's displeasure at the fact that the abomination left.

"No, you don't understand. I originally saw it in the forest, started to hunt it. I injured it, but it escaped. The second time, he ended up catching me by surprise. We eventually just hunted each other until the prey and predator relationship morphed into a personal vendetta. It hates me, I hate it. I've been waiting for it to show up again, as I knew it would still follow me, when leaving Ottawa." Stephen explained.

"So great, now we have a horse man out for your blood. But because we're with you, he'll no doubt try to kill me too, and...possibly Snowy if he's hungry. I don't think it would eat metal." Alec said.

Snowy let out a whine, of displeasure at what Alec had said.

"I just call it the same name for the thing in ancient mythology. A centaur." Stephen said.

"Well, now that-" Alec was interrupted as he was sent flying through the air randomly. Alec hit the ground, and rolled through the freezing snow. "What the fuck..." Alec grumbled, while getting up.

"Moose!" Stephen yelled, running far from it while gunning at the huge moose that had came out of nowhere. EEB and Snowy were with Stephen. EEB was rapidly firing it's laser at the rad moose, and Snowy was breathing fire at it.

The rad moose was berserk and wild, not able to be tamed. The rad moose's skin was thicker than it's pre-war ancestors, and it's skin was reddish, and it still had a lot of it's fur left. It's antlers were huge, which was probably what sent Alec flying through the air.

While the moose was a formidable foe, it fell to the team made up of a high-tech robot with a powerful laser, a weathered and experienced hunter that's very perceptive, and a fire breathing bloodhound of a wolf. Alec walked over to the carcass of the moose.

"Well shit, I suppose it's time to make camp, as snow's about to start again, and close to nightfall." Alec said, ignoring the pain from just being gored by a rad moose.

"What? On the road, in the open? You really fucking want to not wake up tomorrow, don't you?" Stephen mocked.

"What...? Where else would we...?" Alec said, quickly being interrupted by Stephen.

"There's a building, right over there. I'm going to cut you some slack, as that moose just sent you flying, and you're still probably out of it, but you have to snap out of it, okay?" Stephen said to Alec.

"Hey...a snowshoe hare...come here...rabbit..." Alec said.

"What? God damn it!" Stephen said, finally being fed up with it. He smacked Alec as about as hard as he could.

"Jesus Christ, Stephen! Why'd you smack me?" Alec yelled, having broke out of it.

"You were talking about seeing a nearly extinct animal. Look, we'll get some meat from our friend here, Moosey, and then make it into the building there, okay?" Stephen said. Alec nodded.

They got a few good slices of moose meat, and quickly ran for the building as the snowstorm was beginning, and it looked like it was going to be a big one. Alec or Stephen didn't have time to read the sign outside, as they immediately entered it with Snowy and EEB.

The sign read, "Sunset Sarsparilla, Canada's Favorite Soft Drink!"

**_End of Chapter Ten: Canada's Favorite Soft Drink!_**


	12. Haunted

**Chapter Eleven: Haunted**

"Well, this place looks like shit." Stephen said, at the derelict ruins of the bottling plant. The entrance area was the lobby. There was a desk in the center of the room, and several closed doors leading to different directions.

"Better than freezing out there." Alec said.

"Well, we should scout the building, make sure nothing else possibly hostile is living here." Stephen said.

"Hey there!" A voice came from the side. It made Alec jump, as he didn't expect it. Alec and Stephen closed the door, which was what was covering whatever the source of the voice was.

It was a bloodied robot, at some sort of a booth. It was the strangest robot you could have ever saw. It was dressed like a pre-war mountie, and it was drenched in blood.

"What...the...fuck." Stephen said.

There was a sign on top of the booth that the robot was in, the sign said, "Say hello to Fester! The friendly Canadian mountie!"

"Uh...hello...Fester?" Alec said.

"Hello! I suppose you're here to know all aboot the history of Sunset Sarsaparilla, eh?" Fester the Robotic Mountie asked.

"No, not at all." Stephen said.

"Well, it was all the rage in the old United States, so the Sunset Sarsaparilla company thought it was aboot high time to expand, eh?" Fester said.

"...We said no." Stephen said.

"And then of course, it was a smashing success, eh?" Fester continued, despite their pleas not to.

"What the hell, is that accent supposed to be Canadian?" Stephen said.

"If you have any complaints, eh? Please direct them to the Sunset Sarsaparilla company, based in the United States, eh?" Fester said.

"Jesus Christ, I'm about to shoot this god damned thing." Alec said, actually being the angry one this time.

"Do you know, if you find enough caps off of Sunset Sarsaparilla bottles, and bring them back to me, you could receive a fantastica-aaaaaaaaaaaaaal...priiiiiiize." Fester said, powering down, as Stephen found the cord to it, and unplugged it.

"Thank God...though...the blood...that seems uh, troubling, doesn't it?" Alec said.

"Well, I mean, it isn't a pleasant sign, if that's what you're asking." Stephen responded, sarcastically.

"I don't think the robot was the source of that blo-holy shit, it's all over the floor. What the hell happened in here? I don't even see any corpses." Alec said.

"...Okay, I was going to say let's split up and scout the building, but fuck that." Stephen said.

"What, getting scared?" Alec asked, mocking his cousin's tough guy act, which was crumbling.

"I'm not afraid, but even if I was, THIS IS A FUCKING GOOD REASON TO BE AFRAID!" Stephen yelled.

"Is it?" Alec further mocked.

"Don't be a smart ass, here and now. We have to be together." Stephen said. Suddenly screams came from the center of the room, behind the lobby desk. It was a man, covered in blood, claw marks, and bite marks. Obviously the screaming was enough for Alec and Stephen to pull out their rifles.

"The demon! He is here...he claws, he slashes, he murders!" The insane man screamed, laughing insanely.

"Demon? What demon? Say something!" Alec yelled at the insane bloodied man, shaking.

"He is here. He kills everyone. He makes me watch, and feast upon their flesh, for his OWN FUCKING AMUSEMENT!" The insane man had tears coming out of his eyes, as he screamed.

"...This guy is fucking insane, he's a cannibal!" Stephen yelled, about to fire at him.

"You think cannibals are bad? He ripped three people apart in a fucking swing! I was a father before I found this place, before I stumbled upon him! YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT HE DID TO MY FUCKING DAUGHTER? He ate her whole. WHOLE. He made me his servant, he controls my mind, you don't think he can do it, but he can, or it might just me being insane? I don't know anymore." The insane man laughed.

"Just...calm down. We can help you. We can kill whoever "he" is. Just...calm, down." Alec said, trying to calm the situation.

"No...NO, YOU'RE AGENTS OF HIS WILL, COMING HERE, TO TAKE ME BACK! No, I planned my escape from that hell, for too long to be dragged back! No, I shall not...he is so twisted by irradiation, so evil...it is a creature twisted beyond anything you could find in hell. Even now, I can hear his yells, for me to come back. Oh God...no, I will not. I WILL NOT GO BACK! IN HELL I WILL SEE YOU!" The insane man yelled, suddenly grabbing a empty sunset sarsparilla bottle off of the desk, smashing it against the desk, grabbing a shard of it, and slicing his neck with it, killing himself.

His body fell to the ground behind the desk, still bleeding and warm.

"...No." Alec said. "No fucking way, am I sleeping here. Fuck you Stephen, I'm going to make a god damned campsite outside." Alec said.

"...Really? You don't...feel curious?" Stephen asked.

"...What, the fuck. I thought you were supposed to be a survivalist? A survivalist does not stick around in a place covered with blood, and an insane man screaming about something that ate his daughter whole, right before slicing his own fucking neck." Alec said.

"But, the hunter inside of me wants to investigate and see if it's a predator I could take down." Stephen said.

"...You've lost your damned mind. THIS IS NOT A HUNTING TRIP. We are not here to hunt some fucking crazy ass thing, that is capable of eating somebody's daughter whole! We were here, to fucking sleep for the night or until the goddamned snow stops. But now, I am here, to get the fuck out of here, as fucking fast as possible. Now come on, because I am not going to fucking stay here, any fucking longer. Seriously, first you have man horses-" Alec was interrupted by Stephen.

"A centaur." Stephen corrected.

"...have centaurs, having vendettas with you or some shit, and now, now you're trying to fucking fight some fucking monster we have no fucking clue about except, it's capable of eating humans whole, and keeping them captive!" Alec said, snapping on Stephen.

"...I guess you are right. Alright, let's go. Maybe there's another building down the road." Stephen said, agreeing with Alec. Both Alec and Stephen went to push open the door, but they realized something.

They couldn't.

"What...it won't budge." Stephen said, trying his hardest to push it back open.

"It has to, man! I'm not fucking staying in here!" Alec said, beginning to panic, while trying to push the door open with Stephen. EEB and Snowy simply watched them, as they couldn't really help them, what with being a dog and a eyebot and all.

"We're snowed in...we're fucking snowed in!" Alec said.

"Damn...really has to be coming down if the door's blocked already with snow." Stephen said.

"You think?" Alec said, sarcastically.

"God damn it man, quit being a smart ass. Seriously, gets annoying fast as shit." Stephen said. "And...well, we can either find another way out...we could pull the door open, which would result in the snow coming inside, and then we could have the mutt try to burn all the snow away to the outside, but I doubt she's going to be able to breathe fire for that long, as I mean, come on. Breathing fire, probably isn't good for you, or at least I imagine it isn't. Might be a way to get up on the roof...might be something around here, that we could use...or...just...stay the night, and hope that we can get out tomorrow." Stephen said, trying to think of what to do.

"...I'm not going to sleep, with whatever is in here still lurking. We're either getting out somehow now, or I'm going to find whatever it is, and I'm going to put a bullet, into it's brain." Alec said.

"No diplomatic Alec?" Stephen asked.

"He fucking got freaked the fuck out, and left the building. However, WE can't leave the building. That's...honestly, I'm not even going to rule it out, the possibility of it being haunted has popped up in my mind." Alec said, pulling his gun off of his back.

_**End of Chapter Eleven: Haunted**_

* * *

><p><strong>An eerie chapter...what could lie next for them? Who knows? I do. 14,473 words.<strong>

**Adios.**

**~TGG333**


	13. The Easter Bunny!

**Chapter Twelve: The Easter Bunny!**

Alec and Stephen looked at each of the doors in the lobby area.

"Which one do you think we should go through?" Alec asked.

"That insane guy must have closed whichever door he came running through." Stephen said.

"Let's just pick one." Alec said. The group chose to go through the second door on the left side. It led to a dark hallway.

"Well, shit. Now what?" Alec said. His eyes widened however, when he saw what he thought he was seeing in the darkness. "A SNOWSHOE HARE! I FUCKING KNEW IT!" Alec yelled. The snowshoe hare hopped into the darkness. Before Alec even had time to go in after it, the lights of the hallway flickered on.

It was clear that something horrible is in this place after all, as the hallway was littered with nothing but bloody corpses and empty sunset sarsaparilla bottles. The snowshoe hare that Alec had seen was gone.

"Holy shit." Stephen said.

"...I now have a new fear of snowshoe hares. You saw it...right? I'm not insane?" Alec asked, desperate for Stephen's confirmation.

"Yeah, I saw it. Well, nowhere else to go but forwards." Stephen said, walking through the hallway, cautious not to trip on a corpse. Alec and the others reluctantly followed Stephen. They all kept going, until they came to a single corpse, that was leaned up against some rubble which completely blocked the way forwards. Suddenly, they all heard a sound from behind them. They turned around to see the very same snowshoe hare, simply looking up at them.

"Shoot...it." Stephen whispered.

"What? You shoot it. You're the hunter after all!" Alec protested.

"I'm...too afraid. All the blood, the corpses, the lights turning on out of nowhere...the goddamned hare...this is creepy as shit." Stephen whispered.

"Fine, baby." Alec said, aiming his rifle at the snowshoe hare. He fired, but the snowshoe hare was gone. Suddenly a voice was broadcasted through the entire building.

"You dare shoot at the hare! One of MY hares? They were discovered as a delicacy in the wastes by predators and savage humans. Humanity is a horrible species, that is why, I have BECAME, a hare!" The voice yelled.

"Just went from creepy as shit, to an insane asshole who wants to be a hare, fucking with us." Stephen said, slightly relieved.

"INSANE ASSHOLE? You shut your whore mouth, human! For I am Peter fucking Rabbit! You will show me respect. Otherwise, my friends will make you. I have ears everywhere. Humanity is an ugly, inferior species, and I HATE THEM ALL!" The voice screamed.

"So...because of that, you pretend to be a hare?" Alec asked.

"Pretend to be? PRETEND TO BE? I AM ONE!" The voice screamed.

"Let's just go." Alec whispered to Stephen. They both made it back to the lobby. The other three doors were now opened.

They chose the first door on the left, this time. It led to what appeared to be a pre-war tour of the factory, gone horribly wrong. There were several small skeletons, in ancient clothes that were covered in dried blood. Not to mention, it looked like there were little holes in each of their skulls. Bullet holes, no doubt. The larger skeleton that was in front of all the skeletons must have been the tour guide.

"What the hell..." Alec said. A sunset sarsaparilla vending machine had just fell on one skeleton, smashing and breaking a lot of it's brittle bones.

"Oh...you're...in there. I still remember it like it was yesterday. I was a part of that tour of this horrible building. During the riots, pre-war Canadians, outraged at the way America had taken over, attacked American owned businesses. This one, was attacked many times. But still, some Canadians loved their soda even more to give into the craving of violence. But then, a power armored American, kicked the door open during the tour. He shot all of them, except me. I was an adult then...I kept asking why would he shoot all the children, the tour guide, but let me live? Mercy? No. To cease the rebelling Canadians? No, we weren't rebelling. To send a message? No. He enjoyed it..." The voice said.

"You were alive in the pre-war era? How?" Alec asked.

"I am a horror of radiation. I'm a ghoul. Would have died otherwise, but being a ghoul is better than being a damned human. Yet...yet I couldn't forget the memory of this place during my human years. I came back...couldn't let it go." The voice said.

"You're a ghoul? I've heard of them...they get so exposed to the radiation, their skin begins to peel off...yet they're still alive. Their lives are much longer than non-ghouls. Still...I imagined that they would have a...deeper voice...err, no offense, hare boy." Stephen said.

"Is this why you hate humanity? Not all of humanity did this. A lone single American did it. To judge all of humanity over one single human's actions over 200 years ago is...honestly? Idiotic." Alec said.

"There's also the fact of them nearly making the hares extinct. Or the whole thing where they all went to war in the first place and ruined FUCKING everything. Why can't they just unite and be together, to make their horrible species slightly better?" The voice asked.

"Because that's not really how human nature works, shithead." Stephen said, bluntly.

"And THAT is why I reject my humanity. Now, enough." The voice said, tired of them already.

"You can't reject it..." Alec said, even though the owner of the voice was clearly fed up with them.

They all headed back to the lobby yet again, as the path just lead to another pile of rubble dead end. In fact, it probably was the same rubble from before, they were just seeing it from the other side. They went through the second door on the right this time.

It was another dark hallway. Alec and Stephen had already brought out their rifles, remembering the last dark hallway. The lights flickered on again, and they were even more horrified at what they saw in this hallway than the first one. There was an even gorier corpse in the middle of the hallway, but this time it was covered with snowshoe hares. Their white fur was now part red. They were all staring at Alec and Stephen.

"Oh, my, God." Alec said, completely terrified. The snowshoe hares all ran to the end of the hallway where there were two large doors already opened.

Stephen ran after them, Alec instinctively, ran after him to try to get him to come back, or at least wait for him to catch up, as who knows what was past those doors. But it was too late...the entire group was past the doors now.

The doors suddenly slammed shut behind them and locked. They were in the bottling area of the factory, finally, and it was the nightmare that they were hoping not to find.

"Holy..." Alec said, in shock.

"...fuck." Stephen said, finishing it for the shocked Alec.

There was a GIGANTIC snowhare, in the middle of the large room, around several knocked over and smashed sunset sarsaparilla boxes. The hare had a human corpse halfway into it's mouth.

"BEHOLD, THE EASTER BUNNY!" The voice laughed insanely.

_**End of Chapter Twelve: The Easter Bunny!**_


	14. Extinct, Now

**Chapter Thirteen: Extinct, Now**

The huge snowshoe hare that the voice had called "The Easter Bunny", finished eating the human corpse it had been eating when they entered originally. It turned around and let out a horrifying loud roar at Alec and Stephen.

"This can't be real, is it?" Alec asked.

"Looks pretty fucking real to me!" Stephen yelled, quickly loading more bullets into his rifle.

"I witnessed many snowshoe hares being killed when I went outside of this place. Either by the heartless human hunters or by nature's predators. I was fed up with it. Caught and brought as many as I could. Then I found Fluffy there. He was barely alive...some lazy predator or hunter didn't even finish him off, or he got away somehow. I became very angry after that. I got an idea during that period of rage. Human hunters, could scare them or kill them off, nature, you can't kill nature. But you can, alter it, put something ahead of something else on the food chain. Radiation allowed me to survive, when everyone else died. So, I used it to tip the scales in the hares' favor. Dragged barrels of radioactive waste here for them. Was a ghoul before I came a hare, so I was immune to the radiation from it obviously. Gave the snowshoe hares their food after dipping it into the barrels. I then brought Fluffy back to a healthy state, from the brink of death itself. I trained him and the others to hate and attack humans. But Fluffy...he has a true hatred of humanity, like me. They all eventually adapted to a diet of a carnivore, their teeth became razor sharp, and Fluffy ate the entirety of a few barrels and...well, there he is." The voice explained.

Fluffy was standing on two legs, it's two arms were actually pretty big. Wait...it had arms? Oh fucking radiation, you dirty cheating whore. Blood was still running from Fluffy's mouth.

"I suppose it's not friendly, then?" Alec asked.

"Only to me. Unfortunate, for you. Anyhow, FLUFFY! ATTACK!" The voice yelled.

"Well...can cross this off my list as a hunter. Fight a predator, that was once a prey, and now...is I don't even know how many times larger it is than me." Stephen said, jokingly. Fluffy let out a loud roar that filled the entire large room.

"I guess it's show time, then." Alec said. They both ran in different directions. Large stacks of sunset sarsaparilla crates were between it and the beast, but every once in a while there was a gap or two, where Alec and Stephen could shoot at it from as they passed it. EEB was following Alec and shooting its laser at Fluffy whenever he could, and Snowy was launching fireballs at Fluffy. Obviously EEB's lasers had to be the most annoying to Fluffy, as Fluffy picked up and tried to launch a sunset sarsaparilla crate at EEB to take down the quick eyebot. It barely missed it, and EEB kept on flying. The crate hit the wall instead of EEB and broke into pieces.

Blood was leaking from the spots where Alec and Stephen had shot Fluffy. The now enraged Fluffy put his arm through a tower of sunset sarsaparilla crates as Stephen was about run past it. Stephen stopped just in time, otherwise he would have ran right into Fluffy's paw. He and Snowy were about to run the opposite direction, but Fluffy's other arm smashed through it, and his paw blocked that way as well. Fluffy, as soon as he would break the crates in the middle of the tower of sunset sarsaparilla crates by putting pressure on them, would smash Stephen in the middle.

"Alec, you better fucking stop him, or I'm about to be fucking rabbit food, so get off your ass and start fucking shooting, you and your fucking piece of shit aiming hunk of scrap metal!" Stephen screamed at Alec who was on the other side of the room, less angry, and more desperate for his help.

Alec stopped when he reached another stack of crates that was right behind Fluffy, and he kicked it, which caused it to fall forwards, and hit the back of Fluffy. Thus, creating a temporary bridge of crates until Fluffy moved and caused the ramp of crates to fall. EEB faithfully followed Alec as he ran up the ramp of crates, ascending to Fluffy's level. Alec jumped onto the top of Fluffy's head. Fluffy's arms were stuck, and couldn't pull them back through the tower of crates to stop what Alec was about to do. Alec dropped down onto Fluffy's face, still having one hand holding the fur on top of his head.

Fluffy growled with rage at Alec who was suddenly right in front of Fluffy's left eye with EEB, who was in front of Fluffy's right eye.

"Hey, furry. Hope you like being blind!" Alec mocked, taking one out of his cousin's book. He fired his rifle right into Fluffy's left eye several times, as EEB shot its laser into his right eye several times. Fluffy roared and trashed causing Alec to be flung onto another stack of crates, and also causing the ramp of crates he had previously used to fall and break as they hit the ground. EEB followed Alec who was now on the top of a stack of sunset sarsaparilla crates. He had smashed the top of the crate open by landing on it. He stayed very still, as he quickly realized the stack was not stable, at all. He grabbed a bottle of sunset sarsaparilla from the same crate he was practically sitting in, removed the cap, and started to drink it, despite the conditions he was in.

"Ah, now these people knew how to beat everyone else in the market of putting shit in a bottle and selling it." Alec said, launching the bottle of half full sunset sarsaparilla at the back of the head of Fluffy. The glass shattered, and fully enraged Fluffy. He ripped his arms out of the tower of sunset sarsaparilla crates, not caring about Stephen and Snowy anymore. However it resulted in the stack of crates falling towards Snowy and Stephen.

"This is not helping, Alec!" Stephen yelled as he ran quickly with Snowy to escape the rain of crates. Fluffy let out a roar, trying to find Alec and Stephen. Alec was being quiet, and trying to remain still, to not get the attention of the goliath hare, who was now blind. Stephen, had made it to the bottling machines, and found that there was a dead wastelander here, clutching something in his hands. Stephen went to grab it, and realized what it was. "A bag of explosives...this guy had the right idea...too bad he died before he could use it." Stephen said.

There was a man in what appeared to be a rabbit suit, standing behind him clutching two knives, one in each hand.

Stephen turned around to face the rabbit man, wielding two knives.

"HOLY SHIT!" Stephen screamed, leaping away, running away with the bag of explosives, as the rabbit man tried to lunge at him with his knives.

"THE HARE MUST BE FED!" The insane rabbit wearing lunatic screamed. "PETER AND FLUFFY MUST BE APPEASED!" He screamed, as he swung both of his knives at Stephen, over and over again.

"God damn it, you fucking crazy ass freak! Get the fuck away from me!" Stephen yelled, unable to get his rifle off of his back again to just shoot his ass because he was still carrying the bag of explosives, and there was no way in hell he was going to drop it and give the lunatic a chance to blow his ass up. He looked around for Snowy, curious to why the hell she wasn't helping, and then saw why.

She was fighting off a horde of normal sized snoeshow hares, mauling some of them and setting the rest on fire. Alec had noticed that Stephen was being chased by the rabbit suit wearing freak. He looked at Fluffy who was still searching for Alec, clueless to where he was. He breathed in slowly, aimed his rifle at the rabbit suit wearing freak, and took the shot.

A bullet ripped right through his back, and the rabbit man fell to the ground, dead. Unfortunately, the gunshot alerted Fluffy of where Alec was. Fluffy let out a loud roar, which caused all the small snowshoe hares to begin to climb the stack of crates up to Alec. Alec actually grabbed one that had made it all the way up, and got a closer look at it.

Well it only was for a second, as when the hare opened it's mouth, and revealed all of it's razor sharp teeth, it freaked the ever living hell out of Alec, so he began to punch the hare several times right in the face. He then launched it through the air right at Fluffy. Hilariously, Fluffy opened it's mouth and ate it's fellow brethren.

Alec cautiously stood up on the stack of crates before the other hares climbed all the way up, and leaped to the next stack which was smaller. He barely made the jump, like the last one, he stayed still again for a minute or so, so the stack wouldn't fall with him on it. He shot several of the snowshoe hares that were still climbing the previous stack.

"Alec!" Stephen yelled, as he was kicking snowshoe hares into the wall. He launched the bag of explosives through the air towards Alec. If Stephen wasn't as strong as he was, the bag wouldn't have flown far or high enough to reach Alec, but it did.

Alec looked into the bag. It was full of grenades, and mines. He reached into the bag, turn on some of the mines, and pulled the pins of the grenades.

"HEY, FAT ASS RABBIT! OPEN WIDE!" Alec barked at Fluffy. Predictably, Fluffy let out a loud roar, like it always loves to do. Alec used this opportunity to launch the bag of active explosives right into Fluffy's mouth. Like a idiotic mindless beast would, it swallowed them.

Let's just say that Fluffy ended up...well, dead, as multiple explosives exploded from inside of him. Fluffy fell to the ground dead, sending a tremor due to it's high weight hitting the ground, which caused Alec to fall off of the stack of the crates, and crash landed on two crates.

Alec grumbled, and pushed himself up. He heard screaming coming from somewhere.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! FLUFFY! I'LL KILL YOU. I'LL KILL BOTH OF YOU...ARGH!" The voice screamed.

The small snowshoe hares were now enraged at it's fallen father...or...mother? Well, the voice did say it was a he. Alec ran to where Stephen and Snowy were fighting the smaller snowshoe hares, with EEB following after him.

"Holy shit, did you see that?" Alec said, still in disbelief that he just brought down a huge ass demon snowshoe hare.

"HOW ABOUT YOU QUIT BOASTING, AND FUCKING START SHOOTING?" Stephen yelled, as he stomped on hares while he reloaded his rifle which he was now able to pull back out.

They all stood against the horde of snowshoe hares. Eventually, they had fended all of them off, killing each and every last one.

"Well...they're extinct no-" Stephen was interrupted.

"YOU KILLED MY FAMILY, MY FRIENDS...MY SPECIES. NOW I WILL KILL ALL OF YOU!" Peter the Rabbit screamed.

Peter the Rabbit was actually not a rabbit at all, obviously. He was another man in a rabbit suit. But unlike the other one who was drove insane by Peter and Fluffy to do their bidding, Peter has a minigun.

As the minigun's barrels spun, all of them were able to get behind some sort of cover.

"God damn it you fucking psycho, we dealt with your god damned creepy ass decor, we dealt with your god damned abomination of a snowshoe hare, and it's hideous offspring, you lost. Just go the fuck away. If not, you're getting a bullet through your god damned head. The hares are extinct. Deal with it." Stephen yelled.

"No! I am still alive...the hares aren't extinct..." Peter the Rabbit screamed, in denial.

Alec shook his head, fed up with Peter's bullshit. "Fuck you, you crazy ass rabbit!" Alec screamed, leaning around the crates, and shooting once with his rifle. His aim was deadly...literally. The bullet went right through the rabbit costume's head, and blood covered him, and his rabbit ears. He fell, and so did his minigun.

"Well, I think it's safe to say that...well, the snowshoe hares are extinct, now...finally. Actually that's another thing I can cross of my list as a hunter. Make a species extinct. Or at least contribute to it." Stephen joked, at the gory scene.

_**End of Chapter Thirteen: Extinct, Now**_

* * *

><p><strong>Well! That had to have been one of the most random things (and strangely, funnest) I've ever wrote. And I loved it. Anyhow, I'm at 17,830 words now...might...well, actually I'll no doubt definitely go over if I keep going like this, as I'm not even halfway through with what I had planned for the trip from Ottawa to Toronto...and just throwing it all together rushed to spare the length seems...wrong. Same with leaving something out. Anyways, adios from the third day of NaNoWriMo...maybe, might do another one today.<strong>

**~TGG333**_**  
><strong>_


	15. An American Creature!

**Chapter Fourteen: An American Creature!  
><strong>

Alec, Stephen, Snowy, and EEB all ate (well except for EEB of course) and rested in the room that the fourth path of the lobby led to. It ended up being a security room on the second floor, but the rest of the second floor was all blocked off by rubble. The security room had footage from cameras all around the building, and had an intercom that broadcasted to the whole building. This was definitely where "Peter the Rabbit" was staying. If they would have picked that door in the first place then they could have just killed him there and then.

They woke up in the morning, and left the god forsaken place. Stephen shot Fester on the way out even though he was powered down. Thankfully, the doors weren't blocked like they were last night, so they were freed to leave.

It wasn't snowing, strangely enough, it did not snow that entire day. It was a rarity, really. They made the best of it, and made a lot of progress forwards. Of course...that was until they Stephen and Snowy yet again stopped and looked behind them.

"Oh Jesus Christ, if this is that god damned man horse again, Stephen, I'm going to shoot you." Alec said, already getting his rifle out.

"No...it's...not the centaur...sounds different. It's several of them...not just one." Stephen said.

"Oh, well that's just great. God damn it, I fucking hate the Ontario wasteland! If the snow isn't bad enough, then the god damned wildlife shows up. And fucking radiation horrors like a god damned man horse, and god help you if you try to take shelter in pre-war buildings. Fucking insane people, and demonic snowshoe hares lurk inside." Alec ranted, almost at the snapping point.

"Shut up!" Stephen said. "Bobcats!" Stephen yelled, firing at two hiding bobcats in the snow around them. He killed one, but the other pounced on Stephen. The bobcat was about to take the killing blow, but suddenly Alec punted it right off of Stephen, finally snapping due to the frustration against the Ontario wasteland. He stomped on the bobcat several times, over and over. Kicking it in the stomach once or twice two. Then he bent down, and snapped the bobcat's neck. The bobcats had a grey fur coat, and were practically unchanged from their pre-war ancestors.

"...Jesus Alec, even hunters aren't THAT brutal." Stephen said, judging Alec for his brutality against the bobcat.

"It pissed me off, alright? God damn it, I'm supposed to be the calm thinker of both of us, now I'm becoming as anger filled as you." Alec said.

"Fuck you, man. I don't have that many anger issues as you say. Why? I let my anger out every once in a while. You, just pin it all down inside of you. That ain't healthy." Stephen said, continuing walking.

They continued walking for a while, until they came to a dead caribou. The dead caribou had a very, very, very large single blood claw mark.

"Holy shit...what the hell could have killed it?" Alec said.

"Something huge, and something with huge claws. That means, let's hurry the fuck up and get out of here, as it's probably still around." Stephen said, urgently wanting to move on.

"Lost your edge?" Alec asked.

"After fighting a colossal fucking hare that ate people whole, I don't know what to believe anymore. A fucking giant ass demonic bird could swoop out of the air and pick one of us at any second, fuck, I don't know. That claw print however, is not a fucking good sign. Now come on." Stephen said.

"...Well, I never disputed that, I just wanted to fuck with you about being afraid of something." Alec said, running to catch up with Stephen and the others. They continued walking, but Alec noticed that Stephen was walking at a much faster pace as he was before. "Are you okay?" Alec asked.

"I'm...yes, I'm okay. Drop it." Stephen said.

"Drop what?" Alec asked.

"Yes, Alec, I'm afraid alright. After that shit in that soda factory, seeing a dead caribou with a single claw mark makes me afraid, as who the fuck knows what it'll be, and if we'll run into it...it's almost guaranteed to happen. I don't know why, but it is." Stephen said.

"Calm down, man." Alec said, somewhat feeling fearful at the fact that his cousin was beginning to break down.

"I'll calm down when we get the as far away, from that god damned carcass, we can." Stephen said, still walking. Stephen turned around, as if he heard something.

"...Come on, LET'S GO!" Stephen yelled, now running forwards.

"What the hell did you see that's making you run?" Alec yelled, running to catch up to him, EEB and Snowy reluctantly followed.

"If it's what I think it is..." Stephen mumbled while running. He saw what he thought he was running from already ahead of them, simply standing there and looking at him.

"What the hell is that thing..." Alec said, not knowing what the creature was.

"A...a deathclaw. Came from America...migrated up here...I've...experienced one before. Barely survived." Stephen said, grimly.

This "Deathclaw" was hunchbacked, stood on two legs, was about nine or ten feet tall, with a thick and resilient hide, powerful muscles, and twelve-inch-long, razor-sharp claws that could kill most any other creature with only a few swipes. Which was why they were called the "Deathclaw." They have an excellent sense of smell and hearing, however their eyesight is poor. Their build gives them incredible speed, resilience and strength in close combat. It also had a long tail, horns, and razor sharp teeth. Even deathclaws on their own were an extreme threat. How the American beast got all the way to Canada, it is unknown.

"You...fought this thing? What the hell haven't you fought? Man horse...a demon that crawled out of hell..." Alec said. "Why is it just looking at us?" Alec asked.

"He's judging us...some do this, some just leap at you, or take you by surprise." Stephen said, still having a tight grip on his rifle.

The deathclaw suddenly ran off, leaving them alone.

"Oh thank God...but we still have to move, there's no doubt more. God help if there's a nest..." Stephen said. They resumed walking, taking further advantage of the no snow today.

"So, what...or more likely, WHO the fuck created that?" Alec asked.

"I told you...it's an American Creature." Stephen said.

_**Chapter Fourteen: An American Creature!**_

* * *

><p><strong>What's a Fallout story without a few deathclaws here and there...? Sure, this time it wasn't a fight against one, but you can bet there will be...this draws the end of my Day 3 of NaNoWriMo...18,893 words...in three days.<strong>

**Mother of Sweet Christ.**

**Anyways, despite my writing problem, I bid you adios!**

**~TGG333**


	16. Ontario Lake

**Chapter Fifteen: Lake Ontario**

Alec and Stephen continued walking, and after a while, they were able to see Lake Ontario. Obviously, the whole top of the lake was covered with a very thick layer of ice.

"Holy hell...you could probably walk across the entire lake!" Alec said, looking at Lake Ontario in it's entirety for the first time in his life.

"Yeah, but then you'd just be in America." Stephen said.

"I wonder what's underneath the ice." Alec said.

"Water that's no doubt under zero degrees by...well, a lot. Skeletal remains of fish...?" Stephen answered.

"Some type of fish had to have adapted and survived." Alec said.

"Even if it did, what would it eat, trapped under the ice? The rest of its species?" Stephen said.

EEB began to beep rapidly at the sight of the Ontario Lake. Another recording of Jeff Wilka began to play.

_"A Canadian lab rat escaped today. Made it as far to the Ontario Lake...he was going to leap into the lake and try to drown himself before the Enclave overseers would bring him back to the facility. I only say that because...well, he did. The Enclave Overseers brought his carcass back, fished it out of the lake, and made an example out of him by setting his corpse on fire right in front of the rest of them. Not for any scientific purpose at all. Just to be cruel, and to show who held the power. Then again, this entire place is cruel."_

Alec sent the recording to EAGLE. They then continued, walking besides the frozen lake. Suddenly, a bullet flew right besides Alec's head.

"Raiders." Alec said, pulling out his rifle. There was a pretty large group of them on the hill above them. They were all wearing the same type of heavy coats that Alec and Stephen were wearing, except theirs was covered in blood, and also adorned with spikes and metal. They all were armed with guns, unlike those wolf tribals, the last group of other humans they had encountered.

Alec and the group fought bravely even though they were outnumbered. Alec and Stephen had shot about four or five to death, EEB vaporized two into ash, and Snowy succeeded in setting one on fire, who ended up setting another raider on fire. There was still many of them though.

The group had no choice but to back up onto the frozen lake. Unfortunately one managed to shoot Alec in the shoulder.

"Fuck!" Alec yelled as he dropped his rifle onto the ice.

"God damn it!" Stephen yelled, shooting the raider who had shot Alec right between the eyes. His brains and flesh of his head flew everywhere. "Alec, can you still shoot?" Stephen yelled.

"Does it look like it?" Alec yelled.

"Going to die now fuckfaces!" One of the raiders laughed.

"Shit!" Stephen yelled, barely dodging gunfire by purposefully sliding on the ice. Suddenly their old friend the deathclaw showed back up, right behind the raiders. The raiders turned around and faced the beast. The deathclaw slashed through all of them with ease and little effort.

The deathclaw was entirely covered by the gore from the raiders. The deathclaw looked in Stephen's direction, but then it looked away and ran off again.

"That's twice it hasn't attacked us...third time it'll..." Alec's voice broke Stephen out of it.

"Losing a lot...of blood...ice isn't making me feel better." Alec said. Stephen ran over, and pulled Alec to his feet, taking care not to further hurt Alec. He helped Alec walk, taking extra caution to not slip on the ice. Then he heard what he didn't want to hear. A cracking of the ice.

"Oh shit!" Stephen yelled, looking back at the large crack in the ice, which was spreading towards them. The group quickly evacuated from the lake before the ice broke open and exposed the icy dormant water of Lake Ontario to the extremely cold fresh air of Canada.

_**End Chapter Fifteen: Ontario Lake**_


	17. The Attackers of Ottawa

**Chapter Sixteen: The Attackers of Ottawa**

Stephen, while he didn't have much, or any medical training, he was capable of removing the bullet from Alec's shoulder, closing the wound, giving a stimpak injection to it, and bandaging it. "You can walk?" Stephen asked.

"I was shot in the shoulder, not my leg." Alec said.

"Can you swim in basically arctic waters with one good shoulder?" Stephen asked.

"Well obviously I cannot." Alec said.

"Then maybe you should be a bit more thankful and less of a smartass to your cousin who prevented you from drowning?" Stephen said, pulling Alec up and putting his first aid kit back in his bag.

"Well, thanks then, even though you caused me to be a smart ass in the first place because it's contagious." Alec said.

"Ha fucking ha. You're a fantastic jester, you know, all the crowds of Canada come to watch your comedic acts! There's even some right now! Oh...nevermind, I could have swore I saw some. Guess people don't find you funny anymore, as nobody but me, a piece of flying scrap metal, and a mutt are here to enjoy your riveting, side splitting act of comedy." Stephen joked, while resuming his walking now that Alec's wound had been dealt with.

"At least I'm not a clown who is continuously harassed by a man horse and a demon straight from hell that can cleave through two or three people in one swing." Alec responded, while walking with the others, away from the base of Ontario Lake.

They walked for what seemed like a very long time but Alec and Stephen still wanted to get as much walking in as they could before the snow resumed.

"It hasn't snowed all day..." Alec said, just now realizing it.

"Shut up! You'll jinx it..." Stephen said. The snow finally resumed when they were about to walk through some dead husks of trees that the road went between. They noticed that there was a bloody man leaning up against one of the dead dry trees.

"That's not a good sign, is it?" Alec said. "And I already know that you're about to say "it's not a pleasant sign", so don't say it, ass." Alec quickly added on.

"I was going to say no it isn't." Stephen said, leaning down to investigate the corpse. "Not frozen, blood isn't even dry, bullet holes aren't the same size as the one that raider left you..." Stephen said, suddenly pulling out the same knife he used to dislodge the bullet that was in Alec's shoulder.

He removed a bullet that was lodged in the corpse's chest, and further investigated it.

"Definitely not the same type of bullet...and because most raiders use similar equipment to each other, this corpse was not left by the raiders, and because it isn't frozen and the blood isn't dry...it is still recent." Stephen said.

"I still don't see how you're capable of seeing every little thing, every little detail." Alec said.

"I'm skilled, plus, can't be a hunter without a high perception." Stephen said.

"Here it is, again. And I didn't need a high perception to see it, and it links the corpse to the people who have attacked Ottawa." Alec said, pointing at the blood red maple leaf painted on the tree across from the corpse.

"...Fuck you Alec, but anyways...so they WERE here recently." Stephen said.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Alec asked.

"Can you shoot with your shoulder in it's condition?" Stephen suddenly asked, taking Alec off guard.

"Yeah." Alec said, with a look of doubt at first.

"Okay, so I can't. But we are NOT passing up this chance of getting the people who made Ottawa burn, just because of a little injury." Alec said, determined.

"What did you tell me in that research facility, about fighting a losing battle? Do you really think we, can take on however many of them that there are, especially with you unable to shoot?" Stephen asked.

"Oh, that's dirty, using my own logic against me. Fine. We won't shoot at them if we encounter them, but we are not stopping." Alec said. "I at least want to see who the hell did it...even if it means I have to lay on the god damned freezing ass ground just to be out of sight of them." Alec said.

"Fine with me, as I'll laugh, but let's keep going then." Stephen said. They were about to keep going, but after they took a few steps, Stephen saw a shadow behind one of the far back trees on the right side. "Show yourself, or I'll fucking shoot THROUGH the tree." Stephen warned, as he could tell it was the shadow of a human.

"Okay, coming out of my puddle of piss. Look, I was just a passerby, then this group of highly equipped men, bearing a blood red maple leaf like the one they painted on that tree, on their armor, and then that guy dead over there runs up to them screaming scum, murderers, and all types of those insults. Then, they filled him with bullets, and that's where he lies. They, were, fucking, terrifying. Which is why I said at the beginning, "Okay, coming out of my puddle of piss."" The extremely afraid person said.

"Why were you still behind a tree when we walked up if they had already left through here?" Stephen asked.

"I...well...okay, I live here, alright? All I do is drink and shoot at that damned chameleon ninja all day." The extremely afraid man said.

"Chameleon...ninja?" Alec said.

"Tail, claws, teeth of a chameleon. Fast like a ninja." The man said.

"You live out here...are you good with a gun?" Stephen asked.

"Fuck yeah, those god damned chameleon ninjas are so fast, but I still shoot those bastards down." The man said.

"...You aren't serious are you?" Alec asked, to Stephen, yet the man thought Alec was referring to him even though Alec was looking right at Stephen.

"Of course I'm serious. I mean, they'd get my gnomes if I didn't shoot them. Also, I'm claustrophobic. So there's that." The man said.

"Is that why you're living out in the wide open?" Stephen asked.

"Yeah. No fear of walls and ceilings falling on me...or...or the area closing in around me." The man said.

"What is your name?" Stephen asked.

"I'm Keith." The man said.

"Keith? That's a terrible name." Alec said.

"BITCH, ME AND MY GNOMES WILL RIP OUT YOUR EYES AND FUCKING EAT THEM!" Keith suddenly screamed out.

"...Jesus, calm down." Alec said. "You can't be serious." Alec said again, to Stephen.

"I told you a minute ago, of course I'm seri-" Keith was interrupted by Alec.

"Not you. Stephen, can we go talk for a second away from...Keith?" Alec asked.

Alec and Stephen walked far away enough from Keith so he couldn't hear them.

"You cannot be serious, he's fucking insane. Claustrophobic? Check. Gnomes? Check. Chameleon ninjas? Check. Ripping out eyes? Check." Alec whispered.

"Obviously chameleon ninjas are deathclaws. Think about it, if he can bring down deathclaws and live to tell the tale, then obviously he'll be a benefit. For the other stuff...sure, he might have a little bit insanity, but who doesn't? He's coming with us, Alec." Stephen whispered.

"Don't do it, man. He's the type that'll go insane halfway through the trip and kill us all." Alec whispered, desperately to try to get Stephen not to invite Keith to go along with them. Stephen ignored him, and walked back over and began to talk to Keith again.

"You want to come with us, Keith?" Stephen asked.

"...Fuck, why not? But I'm taking my gnomies." Keith said.

"Er...but how would you hold your gun if you were carrying a gnome?" Alec asked.

"Hm...OH, I HAVE A SOLUTION! I can tape my favorite gnomey, on top of my gun, and then I'll just keep the rest of my gnomeys here to guard my home!" Keith said.

"...What type of gun do you even have?" Alec asked.

Suddenly Keith reached behind an irregular big tree, and pulled out a mini gun, grabbed a roll of duct tape he had buried in the snow near the very same tree, and duct taped a blue and green gnome on top of his mini gun.

"The Gnome Blaster is ready, and I'm ready as well!" Keith said, walking ahead of all of them.

"Didn't I tell you that he would be useful?" Stephen whispered to Alec, while laughing about the "Gnome Blaster."

"That just makes me feel less safe." Alec said.

The group, now with an extra member, began to walk forwards, following the path left by the attackers of Ottawa.

**_End of Chapter Sixteen: The Attackers of Ottawa_**

* * *

><p><strong>Well, another...second daily chapter up...the first one today was quite shorter...it's nearing the end of the walking, at least. Well not just walking, the adventuring and the hijinks between...it'll probably get to 25,000 words before this part is over. But now it's up to 20,992 words. Because it's a weekend, I'm definitely going to write much more of it hopefully. But I'm starting to lose it, guys. My first draft typed chapters are filled with typos the first time through...so I have to go and reupdate them to fix it...<strong>

**I think I'm going to lose my sanity before this ends. Might even prevent myself from playing Skyrim or Assassin's Creed when they come out until I finish (or at least 50,000 words) the story.**

**Anyways, adios.**

**~TGG333_  
><em>**


	18. Round One

**Chapter Seventeen: Round One**

Alec and the group continued on, passing the woods that showed them that they were on the right trail of Ottawa's murderer. They had even gotten a new member, his loyalty, questionable, but another person to help them survive this journey. The journey which seemed like it had been going on forever.

"So...you like gnomes?" Alec asked Keith.

"Like gnomes? This gnome is my wife." Keith said, while carrying his gigantic minigun while he walked.

Alec stopped instantly wanted to stop and address what Keith had just said, but he shook his head and continued on.

"What the hell is going on up ahead?" Alec said, seeing what he thought was a fight between two groups of bobcats.

"Fucking Canadian lynxes and bobcats...they hate each other." Stephen said, watching the blood bath between the large group of bobcats and lynxes. "Better if we just stay back and watch them take each other out...if not entirely, then we'll take the few survivors. Better than getting the attention of both sides when they're still full at strength." Stephen said.

Suddenly he saw out of the corner of his eye, Keith running ahead with his minigun, and he was screaming as loud as he could, which instantly got the attention of both sides. He instantly began to fire rounds at all of them, covering them in a rain of gunfire.

In about a minute, the whole scene was full of dead, bloodied, and shot up lynxes with their rivals, the bobcats. Keith let out a war yell, even though the battle was over. He set down his minigun, and went to snapping the necks of dead lynxes and bobcats even though they were all dead thanks to his reckless charge with his minigun.

"Jesus Christ, Keith." Stephen said. Alec sighed, finally, finally Stephen was going to yell at him. "Reckless, no shit, but I like it. Keep up the good work." Stephen complimented Keith, patting him on the back, as Keith wiped the blood of his face.

"Thanks...I don't know why but I just get like that sometimes. Might be the poison in my veins. Damn dirty genes." Keith said.

"Genes from what?" Alec asked, curious.

"The wolf that impregnated my mother." Keith said.

Yet again, Alec was left wordless due to the very strange and most likely insane Keith. He still couldn't believe that Stephen found him acceptable to welcome him as a companion. Then again, they've run into more or as equal insane or crazy things in this journey so far.

They left the bloody scene behind them, and continued on yet again. The snow that had resumed not that long ago yet again paused.

"Going to be night soon..." Alec said.

"We can sleep in the dirt." Keith said.

"...I don't think that's a good idea. As...usually corpses sleep in the dirt. You're not going to kill us are you?" Alec asked. Stephen's eyes almost widened at how blunt Alec was being towards Keith.

"No I mean...I know an underground place up ahead! It's kind of scary if you aren't wolf-blooded like me, but I'll help you. There's a weird creature inside. Hates me, and I hate it. We fight all the time, maybe you've seen it?" Keith said.

"What type of underground place?" Stephen asked, curious to what they were about to get into.

"Rock building...uh...cave?" Keith said. He suddenly stopped, and turned around, getting the attention of the rest of the group. "Bear." Keith said.

"Bear? I haven't seen a bear in Ontario in for a very long time...an American tourist called it a Yao Guai or something when one tried to attack Ottawa..." Alec said.

"Wait, you mean is it in the cave, or did you see one behind us?" Stephen asked, urgently.

"Neither. Above us. Tree." Keith said. Alec looked up instantly, and saw the "Bear" grasping a tall still standing but dried up husk of a tree. It let out a roar, and suddenly let go and began to descend towards Alec. Obviously, Alec instinctively begins to run as fast as he can, so he isn't landed on by the bear. The bear landed on it's feet, roared at Stephen, Keith, EEB, and Snowy who were all behind him, and began to run after the fleeing Alec.

"Jesus Christ, why does everything target me, AND WHY THE HELL AREN'T YOU GUYS SHOOTING, ALREADY?" Alec screamed, as he was charged down by a bear, barely being fast enough to not be caught instantly by it.

The remainder of the group who were still standing far behind them began to all fire at the mutated bear, annoying it greatly enough to get it to turn around. The mutated bear ran full speed at the others, but the combined combat from all of them were able to bring down the mutated bear. Especially with Keith's minigun.

Alec sighed, tired from running from a fucking bear. Some of the things that have happened in the journey to Toronto so far have been ridiculous to Alec, but he had to get through it. They all resumed walking, now following Keith's locations to this cave he was talking about.

"Here we are..." Keith said. They were at the entrance of the cave...nothing but darkness could be seen inside.

"Well...shit, let's go." Stephen said.

"Really? Are you serious?" Alec asked.

"God damn it, how many times do I have to tell yo-" Alec yet again interrupted Keith's answer to the question he didn't target him with it, for the third time.

"NOT YOU." Alec yelled, frustrated at Keith.

"Yes, what's the point of not moving ahead?" Stephen said.

"Maybe, if we don't move ahead so rashly...we won't die?" Alec responded.

"Well, we're still alive so far, so my method must be working. Now come on." Stephen said. They all entered the cave, Alec being the last one to enter. The center of the cave was the only thing was lit up, and that was because there was a lantern at the center of it. But of course, that wasn't all that was in the center...

"You. God damn it." Stephen said.

"I fucking told you man. It's just...how did it make it this far without us seeing it again?" Alec said, curious. But then again, it was half man, and half horse. Much faster than any of them, not to mention they were in a group, and the Centaur was on it's own.

The man part let out a horrifying scream.

"I fought this thing many times. Especially in nightmares. Or I was awake, but didn't know it. In fact I probably am dreaming right now." Keith babbled.

"I'm fighting it alone." Stephen said, walking ahead of the others.

"Well, ding ding. It's round one." Keith said, sitting down on the rocky floor, about to watch the fight.

_**End of Chapter Seventeen: Round One**_

* * *

><p><strong>Third update of the day, and as usual, the last one. So ends the...urgh...fourth day? Yeah. The site is down for maintenance currently, so I can't check my word count with this update...so...I'll be back tomorrow, you rest assured.<strong>

**Adios.**

**~TGG333**


	19. The Escape of the Beast

**Chapter Eighteen: Escape of the Beast**

Stephen ran towards the Centaur, the man part pointing at Stephen, as if it was mocking him. Stephen had his knife in hand, while it may not have been exactly wise to go against a mutated man horse with just a knife, it's what he decided to do. He leaped up at the Centaur, managing to slice one of the Centaur's arms good, before landing on the ground again. The Centaur began to gallop through the darkness, almost knocking over the lantern which would have caused it to be extinguished.

But now, the Centaur was in the darkness, where Stephen could not see it, obviously. He quickly scrambled to the lantern, and scooped it up, and ran before the Centaur almost gored him. The Centaur ran right back into the darkness after it's attempt to plow right through Stephen had failed. Stephen put his knife back in his pocket, grabbed his rifle off of his back, and held the lantern in several directions of the darkness, hoping to catch the Centaur before it caught him.

He got a glimpse of it, and fired his rifle several times, hoping to get it. His aim was not as good as usual though, as he had to hold the rifle with only one hand because he was using his other hand to hold the lantern. He knew he at least hit it once, as he heard a screech from it. It seemed as if it was tired of playing around, as it decided to just blatantly charge at Stephen, which Stephen did not expect, as he wasn't expecting such a blunt maneuver. One of the man's arms was capable of grabbing a hold of Stephen by the neck. It galloped on while the man part of the Centaur dealt with Stephen. Several punches from it were dealt against Stephen, but he tried to hold on, as if he gave up it was going to be over.

He still had a hold of the rifle and the lantern, he put as much effort into as he could, and brought the rifle up to the man part's chest, and fired, causing it to screech for the thousandth time, and drop Stephen. The lantern and his rifle fell to the ground, but he quickly grabbed the handle of the lantern before it hit. He picked up his rifle, and began to look around again for the Centaur.

"Come on, you god damned beast!" Stephen yelled at the darkness. Another screech was heard, giving away the Centaur's location, so Stephen shot several times where he pinpointed where the scream had came from. He heard several grunts each time it shot at it, meaning it no doubt hit it each time. The Centaur yet again decided to charge at Stephen, recklessly. But this time, Stephen dropped his lantern and his rifle, and leaped up into the air at the right time, and landed on the Centaur. "Oh hi, I didn't see you there!" Stephen yelled, beginning to punch the man part of the Centaur several times in it's left eye socket. Both of it's arms went to try to knock Stephen off, but he caught both of them, and then slammed his head right into his chest. He then punched it several more times in the face, but it eventually managed to throw Stephen off.

However, Stephen was able to grab a hold of one of the Centaur's legs as he was thrown off before he hit the ground. He desperately reached for his knife in his pocket, as the Centaur ran through the darkness. The Centaur kept turning at fast speeds, trying to get Stephen to let go, but he wouldn't. He managed to get his knife out, and he thrust the knife right into the leg he was holding on. The Centaur leaped, which caused Stephen to let go and roll across the rock floor of the cave.

"Oh shit, it's coming towards us!" Alec yelled.

"GNOMEY BLAST THIS BITCH!" Keith screamed, already blasting his Gnome Minigun at the charging Centaur, but the Centaur moved to the side, dodging the gunfire, and when it got close enough, it leaped over all of them, and sped out of the cave.

"It's gone..." Alec said, putting his rifle back on his back.

Stephen shook his head, grabbed his rifle off of the ground, and ran for the entrance. He sped out of it, hoping to still be able to kill it before the Centaur got away. The Centaur was speeding through the snow far ahead, but Stephen didn't want to deal with this damned thing yet again.

"Damn it Stephen, just let it go...it's already becoming night." Alec yelled.

Stephen aimed at the now far away speeding Centaur, and breathed in as he pulled the trigger. It took a minute, but he eventually heard the screeching of the Centaur, so it must have hit after all. As predicted, getting shot yet again enraged the Centaur enough for it to turn around and speed back towards him.

"Come on!" Stephen yelled.

Stephen dodged the charging Centaur when it got close enough, and shot it several times in the side. The Centaur charged yet again towards Stephen, but this time the arm of the man on top caught Stephen, and dragged him against the ground next to the Centaur, as it ran.

"STEPHEN!" Alec yelled, finally deciding to step in between the fight, even though Stephen wanted it to be just him and the beast. Alec shot the Centaur's arm that was dragging Stephen, and Stephen was dropped, as the Centaur sped away.

"No...damn it..." Stephen grumbled, getting up from the snow.

"Come on...it's gone now." Alec said, walking over to Stephen.

"You shooting it made it leave." Stephen said, refusing Alec's offered help.

"It was dragging you through the god damned snow. I guess next time I'll just let it drag you halfway across Canada!" Alec yelled.

"At least you can shoot now apparently..." Stephen grumbled, walking back into the cave, with Keith and the others following him.

Alec looked back down the road that the escaped beast had ran. He knew Stephen was still angry about the escape of the beast...but it could have been much worse.

**_End of Chapter Eighteen: The Escape of the Beast_**


	20. Darkness

**Chapter Nineteen: Darkness**

The group ate, drank, and slept in the new vacant cave of the Centaur. They emerged from it in the morning, but it didn't feel like morning, as there was nothing but darkness. The sky had dark clouds that hid away the sun entirely. The snow was harsher that day too. It was an obvious sign of the coming storm, but they ignored it either way and pressed on.

They came to a settlement, well, what was a settlement before what had happened today. It was exactly like the Ottawa they had escaped from, days ago. A hell with flames, dead bodies, smoke climbing into the air, rubble, and ashes...

This happened today.

"Again. The same exact way that they wiped out Ottawa. They have to be near." Alec said.

"Look, no chance for survivors...they blocked the doors of their homes, so the inside burned with no chance of escape, while they brutally fucking gunned down all those who were still outside. This was a bloodbath...just like Ottawa." Stephen said.

"These were the ones..." Keith mumbled to himself, neither Alec or Stephen heard him.

"We...we'll look around, search the town. See if they left anything or...something." Alec said, seething with anger, but hiding it.

Alec and Stephen began to look around, looking for anything really. EEB went with Alec as usual, and Snowy went with Stephen. Keith didn't go with any of them. Keith suddenly pulled something out of his pocket, and ran off with his gnome minigun.

He got far out of sight, and he began to speak into the small radio he had pulled out of his pocket.

"Survivors from Ottawa...at the last settlement I helped you toast...I know you paid me already, but God help if your commander learned that you were sloppy and missed two...and usually when there's two, there's possibly more. Grasshopper, out." Keith whispered into the radio.

"...Okay Grasshopper...sending several men back to that town...get out of sight, as you know how it works. Our men will fire at you if need be, as we need to kill them immediately, and if someone sees you helping us...well, you'll be outed as a rat. Surprised they allowed you to come with them. The whole crazy man usually scares people away. But over and out." The voice answered back through the radio. Keith shut off the radio, put it in his pocket, grabbed his minigun and ran off.

Alec and Stephen didn't notice what Keith had done, or even that he ran off before it was too late. After a few minutes, Alec and Stephen heard them coming, and quickly hid behind some of the buildings, along with EEB and Snowy.

Men in black metal armor in black masks with blood red maple leaves on them approached the remains of the town from the other side of the road. They were wearing black leather coats over their metal armor. There was also a blood red maple leaf painted on the back of the coat. They were all carrying what looked like incinerators, or flamers, and they had rifles on their backs also.

"...Alright, if you don't want to come out and face it, then I guess we're just going to have to burn this town a second time." What appeared to be the Leader of the group said. They all began to erupt flames around the town, waiting for someone to run out from the rubble, or screams as they burnt. Second by second, they got closer to both of the pre-war buildings that the group were hiding behind. Alec looked across towards Stephen, and was as if he was waiting for a nod of confirmation to attack. Stephen must have been a mind reader, as he nodded.

Alec swung out from the corner of the building, and so did Stephen, and both of them began to fire at them. They easily got two of them right off the back, but that was because they were still unaware. They were only able to see them to shoot, because of the flames that they were still spreading, which illuminated the darkness around them.

"There they are!" One of them yelled, dropping his flamer, and taking the rifle off of his back. The rest of them followed suit and did the same thing.

Alec and Stephen both went back behind cover, as a hail of gunfire ran down towards them.

"God damn it, you assholes are all going to die today!" Alec screamed, finally fighting those who had killed Ottawa.

"I don't think so...you should have just stayed in your dead town where you belong." One of them yelled back.

"Hey asshole, maybe you should learn how to duck?" Stephen yelled, suddenly peeking around the corner and shooting the one who yelled back right in the head. If there wasn't flames everywhere, it would have just been them firing blindly at each other in the cold darkness.

"You aren't going to win this fight." Another said. It was looking grim for them after all, as more of them had joined the battle, reinforcing the numbers of them. Not to mention both Alec and Stephen were getting low on ammo. After all, they hadn't gotten any more extra ammo since raiding the Wolf Pack's supply of it.

One of them threw a grenade towards where Alec was hiding behind the cover of the building. The grenade landed right in the snow at Alec's feet, but he was still quick enough to get away far enough, as the grenade exploded. EEB however, was partially hit by it. EEB let out several pained beeps.

Alec got himself out and up from the snow, as he noticed that another one of them went to the other side just to shoot at him some more. But he got behind cover quick enough.

"Stephen...I don't think we're making it out of this one." Alec said.

"No, you aren't." Another one of them commented, shooting at them.

"God damn it Alec, giving up on me already?" Stephen yelled, shooting two more between the eyes and killing them.

Alec went around the corner yet again, but this time, he was unlucky, and got in the opposite shoulder than the one he got shot in the last time. Alec was also shot in the stomach before he was able to go back behind the building. He couldn't fight anymore, already.

"Alec!" Stephen yelled, seeing that Alec was up against the building, bleeding. "You sons of bitches..." Stephen growled. He went around the corner to shoot more of them, but he heard a click.

...He was out of ammo.

They all quickly swarmed Stephen, beating him down, but even their collaborative melee assault couldn't keep Stephen down. Alec was simply watching them wail on his cousin, and when he tried to reach for his rifle that was in the snow, one of them grabbed it.

He looked at the rifle, and almost laughed.

"So not only were you from that town, you were a thief." He said, seeing the red blood maple leaf that was painted on the gun. He went back to beating on the resisting cousin of Alec. Eventually though, they had brought down Stephen. They tied him up, and before they had even started beating on Stephen, they had hit Snowy, and was able to put a muzzle on her, preventing her from using her flames at them, and restrained her, tying her up like a common animal.

EEB's partial hit by the grenade turned out to be much worse, and it was unable to fly any longer, and automatically shut off. Then the men turned their attention towards Alec. They went to grab at him, and Alec's first instincts were to push away their arms, but one of them punched him, and knocked him out. Or the blood loss could have done it too.

_"The darkness of the town that was already illuminated by the original flames...was filled with something else quickly. Men...with hearts darker than the actual darkness. But this story isn't over. Trust me when I say that. I was changed that night...well, it was day, but may as well have been night. Now...now I belong to hatred."_

_**End of Chapter Nineteen: Darkness**_

* * *

><p><strong>Keith should have really not have been trusted, but what would be a story with...well, I can't even call him a traitor, as he was just some insane guy they picked up on his journey that they shouldn't have openly trusted in the first place. I wonder where I've read that before...? Well anyways, now the story approaches the meat of it. Will I be able to finish it by the 11th like I planned...? Honestly, I'm not even going to lie. I'm feeling, PRETTY drained right about now...but...I shall continue my NaNoWriMo quest...this is possibly the last one for today, I don't know, I'm a wild card when it comes to that type of stuff. At 24,553 words...hm...might do some work for the next chapter, or go cheap and just do a 500 word filler chapter.<strong>

**...Probably the first one.  
><strong>

**Adios.**

**~TGG333  
><strong>


	21. Stranded

**Chapter Twenty: Stranded**

Alec's eyes slowly woke up, feeling the cold air on the back of his neck. The area he could see was moving away from him, as he was in motion, but he wasn't moving. He had to have been on a vehicle of some sort, but what type of a vehicle could drive through the snow?

Alec looked down, and saw that his hands were roped together, and he struggled, but eventually he was able to break free from the ropes. He looked further down, and saw his legs were also roped. He slowly and cautiously began to get up, to untie the ropes around his legs.

He quickly realized that he was in fact in a moving vehicle, but in the exposed back of whatever type of truck this was. He saw two of the men that were at the battle of the second ruined town in the seats, through the back window. Stephen still unconscious, EEB who was disabled, and Snowy who was muzzled and roped were all here too.

Alec tried to quietly remove the supply bag that was still on Stephen's back, but by the time he was done, the man in the passenger seat looked back and saw Alec, who was now free. He quickly grabbed his gun, and began to fire towards Alec through the back window, completely reducing it to shards. Alec had quickly ducked back down though, and was now pulling something out of Stephen's pocket.

Alec launched Stephen's knife right through where the back window used to be, and it landed right in the mask of the passenger, and right through to his face. Alec then grabbed a hold of EEB, and was about to wake Stephen up, but the driver purposefully hit a bump in the road to cause Alec, EEB, the bag of Alec and Stephen's supplies to go flying off of the back of the truck.

The driver looked back at Alec who had flew off the back of the truck, and thought for a second as whether to go back for him, or to at least kill him.

"...Ah fuck it, he'll either die out here, or he'll just come to where I'm going, and where the rest of them went..." The driver said, deciding to continue driving.

Alec grunted in pain, as he didn't even land in snow, but cold asphalt. For some reason the path that the truck had took, the snow was pushed to both sides of the road. That's probably why they were capable of driving safely, if the truck could push the snow out of it's main path. EEB clunked when he hit the asphalt...Alec would no doubt have to fix him...with spare parts, or something. The laser blaster on it was still active though, and he found a way to shoot it manually while he was carrying it. He looked down to his stomach wound...bandaged, and his second shoulder wound was also bandaged.

Well, at least these assholes were nice enough to bandage him after they shot him, unlike the last ones who did. Alec got up, put the bag on his back, and began to carry EEB. He saw the truck in the distance, and a partly intact pre-war city, with what appeared to be a large communications tower.

"The CN Tower...I've only heard legends about it...Toronto..." Alec said, realizing he had finally made it...well, almost.

Suddenly, he heard something from behind him.

"Shit, I thought they killed you. Now I have to get blood all over me before I go into town..." Keith said, sighing, while loading his minigun, that was actually now gnomeless.

"I knew it from the first second I saw you...but it all worked out in the end, as I'm about to kill you." Alec said, somewhat relieved that he isn't stranded outside of distant Toronto alone.

_**End of Chapter Twenty: Stranded**_

* * *

><p><strong>Halfway mark, yo!<strong>

**HAPPY 1/6th OF NANOWRIMO!**

**And adios.**

**~TGG333**_**  
><strong>_


	22. Two Letters

**Chapter Twenty One:**

"So, you told them that we there, huh?" Alec said.

"Told them you were there? I spied on your community, Ottawa, and the last community, Oshawa. Told them when to strike both towns, best ways to do it, and which routes to take after and before. I may have just set the fires for them!" Keith said.

"...You take pride in it." Alec said.

"Why wouldn't I? I did it well enough to be prideful of it. Didn't even have to do the killing myself, and wiped out two towns...well, mostly. Why not take pride in that?" Keith laughed.

"I guess convincing you to realize that all you have done is entirely morally incorrect is out of the question then?" Alec said.

"Of course it is, you idiot." Keith said.

"...Good." Alec said. He shot EEB's laser, almost perfectly, and hit one of Keith's hands on the minigun, causing him to drop it.

"...Oh, you're using that scrap metal as a weapon...very clever." Keith said, shaking his hit hand, which he just realized was in more pain than he thought. Alec then shot his EEB laser twice, hitting Keith in both legs once. Alec ran towards Keith, after setting down EEB, and punched Keith right in the face. Keith went to counter Alec, but Alec caught his arm, and put enough pressure on it to snap it. "You asshole..." Keith screamed in pain.

"Tell me why, why they did it, and who the hell are those people." Alec yelled, grabbing a hold of Keith's good arm, implying he was about to break it if Keith didn't tell him what he wanted to know.

"They did it...because they thought the towns were impure. As for who they are? Find out." Keith said. "They're in Ronto, you know that though." Keith laughed.

"It's Toronto. And what do you mean impure?" Alec asked.

"That's what they told me...they might have an extra reason to wipe them off the map with flames, but they were pretty serious when they said the towns were impure." Keith said.

"Now...who, are, they?" Alec repeated the question again, wanting to know the name of them.

"I'm not going to tell you..." Keith laughed. "Snap my other arm if you want, but I'm not telling you another damned thing." Keith said.

"Okay." Alec said.

"Wait, what do you mean okay?" Keith said, but it was too late, as Alec snapped his other arm right when he finished speaking. "Oh you son of a bitch..." Keith cried.

"I WANT THEIR NAME." Alec yelled.

"You...can go...fuck yourself..." Keith laughed, in much pain.

Alec dropped Keith right onto the cold ground, and right on top of his own minigun, propping him up.

"So what...are you going to kill me now? What good would it do?" Keith asked.

"It'd make me feel better, that's what good it would do." Alec said.

"You really are a smart ass, aren't you? The more time you spend with me, the farther they get, the closer they get to Ronto...or, I'm sorry, Toronto. Big fucking difference two letters make." Keith said.

"It is a big fucking different two letters make. For instance, alive. If I take the a and the v out, you'll have a lie." Alec said.

"Yeah, but I haven't lied to you." Keith said.

"You haven't told me everything, though. That's as bad as lying." Alec said.

"The...Republic, of Canada. That's what they call themselves, alright? Was a raider before...offered me a good deal to do what I did to both of your towns after my band of raiders were killed by that, fucking man horse thing. Killed them all, but the Republic saved me and got it to run off. So I figured why not help them." Keith said.

"...I guess I'll finish what the man horse started." Alec said.

"Wait what? I told you what you wanted to know..." Keith pleaded.

"Why would you think I would let you live? I guess you really are as idiotic as I thought when I first saw you." Alec said.

"Bastard!" Keith screamed, furious.

Alec positioned Keith's head further up against the minigun, where it wasn't against it, but his was.

"Don't do this, you asshole..." Keith growled.

Alec jumped up, purposely landing on Keith's head, causing it to bend back much further than it's able to go. The head was completely severed from it's head, due to being bent back so far and because of all of Alec's weight landing on it.

"Well, that was worth it." Alec said. He searched through Keith's pockets, and was going to take his minigun, but he still had to carry EEB. There was nothing in his pockets, so Alec simply picked EEB up again, and began to walk towards Toronto.

When he got closer to the city, he passed by a sign that had two letters missing on it. It said, "Ronto."

_**End of Chapter Twenty One: Two Letters**_

* * *

><p><strong>Ronto, here at last...now this is where my NaNoWriMo story will start picking up...hopefully. <strong>

**25989 words.**

**Adios.**

**~TGG333  
><strong>


	23. Immigrants

**Chapter Twenty Two: Immigrants**

"Finally...I'm here..." Alec said, as he walked towards the eastern wall around Toronto, for the very first time in his life. Pre-war buildings of the Old Toronto still stood, but the far western part of the city was hit by one of the bombs, and was rendered entirely inhabitable. The original citizens from the Vault who settled Toronto used their GECK to purify most of the city, but they simply built walls to separate the irradiated ruins of West Toronto from East Toronto. The CN tower was still standing, which was mostly a bad thing. For one, it can gather a lot of unwanted attention from the wastes outside of Toronto as it overlooks them and anything near can see it, and for two, it's not operational. Still, it was a sign that Toronto had survived the atomic fire that the rest of Canada, and the US was covered in.

Both walls were built out of scrap metal and spare parts, but they eventually further fortified it, even building lookout towers behind and overlooking the walls. You had to get approval to be let inside. Snipers were standing at the lookout towers, with their rifles watching the surrounding area. The only difference with the snipers on the west and east side, was that the west snipers had radiation suits on. Not to mention they didn't even build a gate for the west wall. Alec was actually surprised, he thought that more of the city would be like the west side.

There was a group of people outside of the gate, begging to be let inside. He could see why, as they were wearing rags for clothes, meaning they're probably going to die due to the cold if not let inside. Alec approached the gate, still holding EEB.

"You there...you look more well off than these bums. Maybe..." One of the lookouts said.

"What? Are you crazy? The town is already overpopulated. Fucking everyone comes here. Remember what the commander said? We cannot let them in without something in return." The second lookout said.

"What is that you are carrying...?" The first lookout asked.

"Uh...nothing." Alec said, knowing what they were thinking.

"Doesn't look like nothing." The second lookout said.

"Just some garbage I picked up along the way...not important." Alec lied.

"Looks like an old robot...tech." The first lookout said.

"No, all the parts are gone inside, completely empty. I'm going to try to fill it and make it operational though." Alec further lied.

"Hm...if it's just the casing of one...no, already got enough scrap metal. Got any money or anything else?" The second lookout asked.

"I have news about the other communities out there. Ottawa, Oshawa, both I've passed through. If that's not enough, do you need another worker?" Alec asked, withholding the fact that he was actually from Ottawa.

"News of Ottawa and Oshawa...? I was just through both about a week or so ago." One of the begging vagrants outside of the gate said.

"Well...they're...gone now." Alec said.

"Gone now?" The first lookout said.

"Burned...everybody was murdered." Alec said, grimly.

"...Interesting. What grim news...we will let you, and only you in. That means back up, bums, or we'll shoot." The second lookout said.

The gate of Toronto rose, and Alec stepped through it, looking back at them, who had looks of jealousy and anger, at the fact that Alec was being let in and not any of them. However, one of them did make a charge for it through the gate, unwisely. He didn't even get ten steps in before one of the lookouts shot him right in the head with their sniper rifle.

"Welcome to Toronto. Don't fuck around, we will and can shoot you if you are an idiot." One of the lookouts said, as Alec fully stepped through the gate after watching the vagrant's head exploding. The gate slowly lowered down, closing out the others, and any sight of what was behind Eastern Toronto's wall. "Hold on though...we'll get someone down here to talk to you about those towns...Oshawa, and Ottawa." One of the lookouts said, getting down from his tower, and walking up to Alec.

"GOD DAMN IT LET US INTO RONTO!" Alec heard a scream from outside, through the gate.

"The name is Toronto, you fucking idiot!" The lookout that was still on his tower yelled back.

After a few minutes, a man came down to talk to Alec. His man was black, and he was covered with facial hair.

"He's told me that you've passed through Ottawa and Oshawa, and you claim that both are wiped out." The man said.

"Yeah. Both towns were burning, littered with corpses. Not to mention the blood red maple leaf...I've encountered through the entire route from Ottawa to Toronto." Alec said, knowing that there was something with Toronto, as if that truck was heading here...

"Blood red maple leaf? Like the leaf on the flag of Canada...? Hm...were there...any survivors of Ottawa or...Oshawa?" The man asked.

"I don't know. From what I saw...none." Alec said, still trying to be vague.

"Hm...well, I suppose I'll lead you to the Office of Integration, to get you registered as a citizen." The man said.

"Citizen? Thought the town was overpopulated?" Alec said.

"Well...let me let you in on a little secret. It's not entirely overpopulated, in fact, we still have some room for more people. However, the people outside of that gate...you saw them, didn't you? Rags...beggars, wanting a hand out. A free place to sleep. Not to mention, pretty sure they're from America, or they're idiots. As they all keep calling it Ronto. Either you're an American and you heard of Toronto called "Ronto", or you're an idiot who sees the sign outside and instantly says, oh that must be the name of the town. Damned immigrants...well, not you. You're the first one in a while that has been let in. But most immigrants that we have let in before...were ungrateful, arrogant, and savage assholes." The man said, as he walked on the side of Alec.

_**End of Chapter Twenty Two: Immigrants**_

* * *

><p><strong>Well, another chapter down. 26,999 words...hopefully I might burst through the 30,000 barrier tomorrow.<strong>

**Adios**

**~TGG333**_**  
><strong>_


	24. Realization

**Chapter Twenty Three: Realization**

"So, Americans have been here before?" Alec asked.

"Yeah...a few of them made their way here, then the ones that went back I guess spread the word. Fortunately though, many of them weren't used to the climate, or tried to enter from the west side of Toronto...nothing but radiation there. Some of them became ghouls and ran off, no longer wanting to get to "Ronto", as they call it." The man said.

"Seems...cruel." Alec said.

"Well, it would be crueler if we would let them in, when we can't even let all native-born Canadians inside." The man said.

"Well, you yourself said Toronto still had some room left..." Alec said, contradicting the guide.

"Yes, but if we just let everybody in, that would quickly be invalid. Now...here we are." The man said, as they reached the the "Office of Integration" as the man had called it. Alec went in alone, and the entrance was a lobby area, and there was a single person behind a desk, reading a book.

Another man was already in front of him, in the "line" area in front of the desk.

"Yes?" The receptionist said.

"I'm here to...register?" The man stuttered, unsure.

"Let me read through the book..." The receptionist sighed, putting his book down, and getting a huge looking book out from underneath the desk. He opened it, "What is your name, sir?" he asked.

"Uh...Todd Howard." The man said.

"Hm...let's see...ah, Howard. Yes...you're in the book. Please, go through the back door behind me." The receptionist said.

"I thought you were going to write my name down to register me but...you found my last name in the book? What does that mean?" Todd asked.

"Nothing...just go through the back door." The receptionist said.

Todd shrugged, and walked around the desk, and out through the back door. Alec walked up to the receptionist now that Todd had vacated the building through the back door...wherever it lead...

"Oh, busy day it seems...name?" The receptionist asked.

"Alec Muller..." Alec said. The receptionist's eyes widened, and he didn't even look down at the book.

"Uh...excuse me sir...I have to go...outside for a second." The receptionist said, getting up from the desk. He walked around the desk, and through the front door, and seemed panicked.

Alec walked over to the desk, and read the book.

The top of each page had, "Americans" wrote on it, and many last names were wrote down, and were all alphabetized. He flipped the pages until he saw M, and then he saw his last name wrote in red.

"...But...my uncle told me I was Canadian..." Alec said. He flipped it and got to M, and he didn't see Mawhrin, meaning his cousin wasn't American, and actually Canadian.

He went back to where he was standing, and suddenly heard a gunshot from the back, where Todd had went.

The receptionist and two of the men who were dressed like the men that Alec's group had encountered and were defeated by entered the building.

"He's a Muller." The receptionist said.

"Well, well, well...I've been waiting many years for this day." One of them said, with hatred in his eyes behind his mask.

Alec seethed with anger that he didn't fully come to the realization before. He had his doubts and suspicions, but now it was clear. The group that had wiped out his town AND another, "The Republic of Canada", had control of Toronto.

_**End of Chapter Twenty Three: Realization**_


	25. Behind My Name

**Chapter Twenty Four:**

"I heard the gunshot from where you told Todd to go." Alec said, even though he was completely aware of what was going to happen when he walked through that back door.

"His last name is of American descent. So is yours, but yours is significantly worse. See, the Republic has scavenged mostly all of the pre-war birth records across Canada, and most of the Vaults' records. Then they made two books, for Canadian and American names." The receptionist said.

"So, you kill people if they descend from those of another country? Even though they might be completely innocent...?" Alec asked.

"They are the reason why our country lays in ruin." The receptionist said.

"No, they aren't...you're hysterical. Even if America was the reason why China bombed Canada too, those Americans are long dead, unless they're ghoulified...it is not my fault for something that my ancestors did, over two hundred years ago." Alec said.

"It is." The receptionist said.

"You really think even if America hadn't annexed Canada, China wouldn't have sent bombs to Canada too?" Alec said.

"You think all they did was annex Canada?" One of the Republic guards yelled.

"They stole from us, executed us, caused Canadian businesses to fail while business they carried over and planted here to prosper, beat us down...allowed our country to be set on fire along with them. Any that look Chinese...well, they get an even worse death than Americans." The receptionist said.

"So basically, you already hate me, because apparently my name is American, and you refuse to let it go, even though it's over two hundred years later?" Alec said.

"Your name has more to it than that, unlike the others." The receptionist said.

The Republic guards forcibly made Alec who was still carrying EEB through the back door of the building.

There was nowhere to go as the area was surrounded by other pre-war buildings, meaning the only other way to get back out, was the way he was forcibly pushed through, and he heard the door lock behind him.

Todd was on the snow in front of him, with a bullet hole between the eyes. Alec walked towards it, and turned to meet his fate. There was a Republic soldier holding a rifle over his shoulder. His eyes widened when he saw Alec who was holding EEB. The Republic soldier suddenly put his rifle on his back and began to take his mask off. When he did, Alec's eyes widened just like how the Republic soldier's did.

"Stephen." Alec said.

"Alec..." Stephen said, almost sounding ashamed, whether it was of himself or Alec, Alec didn't know.

"So...you joined them. The killers of Ottawa." Alec said.

"So, you're American, and I didn't have much choice in the matter, just like you now. They said I shared the name of a Canadian hero during the annexation period. They told me the story of him and your American ancestor. You can learn it on your own. I don't feel like sharing stories like that." Stephen said.

"Names, nationalities, it's all I've heard since I stepped into this city. What's the big deal about them? The atomic fire made them mean nothing." Alec said.

"It's not the names or the nationalities, it's the actions that are behind them. Now, I'm sorry." Stephen said, getting his rifle off of his back yet again.

"You would kill me? Your cousin? For those who burnt down and murdered our town, for those who killed your father and my uncle. I know how you feel towards America for all what they did, but does it justify killing someone of your own blood, someone you've known for years, because of his name that I had no choice in taking, just like how you had no choice in taking yours." Alec said, enraged at his cousin.

"God damn it...I can't do it." Stephen said, unable to pull the trigger.

"Won't matter though, in a few minutes your Republic friends will come and do what you refuse to do anyways." Alec said.

"No, not true. Come here." Stephen said. He began to dig something out in the snow in front of the wall he was near. Then Alec saw what was painted on the wall which he hadn't noticed. A very dark red hand rising up to clutch the blood red maple leaf, the leaf obviously representing Canada. He looked back at the wall he was in front of and saw the same colored hand, but holding a blue eagle by the neck, and they made the eagle look like it was choking to death. Alec shrugged and walked over to where Stephen was digging in the snow.

"So what happened to Snowy?" Alec asked, curiously.

"They made the poor mutt a test subject, but after it burned like five of their scientists to death...well, they killed it." Stephen said, finally uncovering what he was digging. "You can get out of the city if you go far enough east in the sewers." Stephen said, pointing at the now uncovered manhole.

"Out of the city? We went through hell and back to get here in pursuit of these very same assholes!" Alec said.

"Two...one man cannot bring down an entire faction!" Stephen said.

"Stephen! Why have I not heard a gunshot yet?" A shout came from the backdoor of the Office of Integration.

"We cannot stop them Alec." Stephen said.

"We have to try!" Alec persisted.

"You can if you want, but remember...the next time I WILL shoot." Stephen said, as he helped Alec into the manhole. Stephen quickly covered it back up the opening after Alec was down it, and covered it back up with snow. Alec could hear yells from above, arguing no doubt. But no gunfire. Alec continued to climb down the ladder, until he reached the bottom. It was extremely hard to descend a ladder while having to carry an eyebot, and frankly, Alec didn't know how he managed it.

The sewers were entirely uninhabited by humans, full of creatures and animals that you would find in a sewer, obviously. Mainly gigantic rats though.

"If there really is something behind my name that is reason enough for me to be killed...I'll overwrite it, and end the Republic." Alec said, as he walked through the sewers, alone.

_**End of Chapter Twenty Four: Behind My Name**_


	26. The Old Men

**Chapter Twenty Five: The Old Men**

Alec sighed as he trekked through the sewers. He thought his days of adventuring and time in dark areas were done, but evidently not. He sighed again as he saw rat after running past him through stagnant, disgusting, and horrible-smelling water. He was also even more cautious of carrying EEB in the sewer, as god help him if he accidentally falls in the water.

He thought he was heading west, maybe. There was no way to tell down here, obviously. This walking went on and on for what seemed like an extremely long time, but suddenly he came to a circle of people around a barrel that was aflame. They were all old grizzled men wearing ripped, dirty, and faded Vault 124 jumpsuits.

"Can I rest here?" Alec asked, hoping to be allowed to stay there, for at least a little while, to get information, get dry as it was the first dry area of the sewer he had seen yet, or at least think of what he was going to do next.

"Huh. Haven't seen another person down here except us for a looooooong while. Sure, kid. But be warned, I asked that very same question about thirty years ago when I found my friends again down here, and I still haven't left this shithole." The really old man said.

Alec walked down to a corner that was empty, set EEB down, and sat next to him.

"So...Toronto's controlled by these Republic assholes?" Alec asked.

"Yep. You 'Merican?" The less old man said.

"No, I was born in Canada." Alec said, rejecting his newly found heritage.

"Ha! That should be all that matters to make you a Canadian, but the Republic doesn't think so." The youngest old man said.

"Vault One-Two-Four?" Alec said, seeing the number on their ancient looking jumpsuits.

"Yeah. All five of us were from it. Vault One Hundred and Twenty Four was actually one of the closest to Toronto. We were some of the best shooters of that expedition, but after we got here, the Republic eventually made it's dirty hands here, grabbed a hold of Toronto, right after casting us aside and dumping us into a sewer, literally. I was the last one who made my way to our little heavenly spot here." The really old man said. "I asked if I can rest here, before I realized that I had refound my old friends...we've been here ever since." The really old man said.

"See, they instated a law that people over a certain age can no longer be on the surface. Ironically, we were the only ones who fit that requirement, and the Republic knew we opposed them." The ancient old man said.

"That's irony, you idiot, it's a coincidence. I swear you're going senile." The youngest old man said.

"Before the young pup interrupted me, the Republic stuffed all the oldest and those who oppose them into a sewer. Classic dictator move." The ancient old man said.

"Well yeah, because we were around the longest we had more influence with the original settlers, and we didn't approve of the Republic suddenly taking over the town we helped build." The less old man said.

"I just said that, moron." The ancient old man said.

"Not the because we were the oldest part." The less old man said.

"He did say oldest, you really are a moron." The really old man said. "Seriously, you're the second youngest and you're the one who needs a hearing aid." The really old man said, mocking the less old man.

"Not to mention he really doesn't even have to be told that you guys are old, I mean look at you all." The youngest old man mocked.

"Hey asshole, you're only a few years younger than ME." The less old man said.

"We're all practically falling apart." The ancient old man said.

"Well, you are." The less old man said.

"I was from Ottawa. Town was destroyed by the Republic." Alec said, trusting the group of old men.

"Ottawa? That must be one of the impure towns I've heard Republic soldiers above talking about. Mixed with Canadians and Americans, along with the hybrids." The ancient old man said.

"I was told by several that the town was entirely Canadian, but they probably meant being born in Canada too...not ancient bloodlines. Or, the Republic are just assholes and lied. Both are possible." Alec said.

"Poor hybrids. Their parents were the ones who chose to be together and merge the bloodlines by having a kid together. Seen some of them be burnt alive through a manhole. They're labeled abominations." The really old man said.

"What do you guys even eat or drink down here?" Alec asked.

"Food? Rats or garbage. Water? You walked through it a few minutes ago." The ancient old man said, pointing at the same muck Alec had to trek through to get to one of the only dry parts of the entire sewers.

"That...you guys drink that? No offense but...how are you guys even still alive, if you've been drinking that and eating rats for thirty years?" Alec asked.

"We're a buncha old stubborn bastards, that's how." The really old man said.

"So...what's life like for those who do have Canadian last names? American names, get shot, hybrids...you get burnt alive..." Alec asked.

"Most labeled Canadians do things for the Republic, or the town, but that's under control of the Republic, so they all just do things for the Republic. They're unfairly taxed, and mostly poor as the result. Not all hybrids are burnt alive actually, they're allowed to be in the town, but they are persecuted, usually acts of violence against them including being burnt alive, they're even more taxed, and usually they cannot get a job or property. People, no matter what blood, who question or are openly against the Republic usually disappear." The ancient old man explained.

"Hell, now that I think about it, we're probably the only old people because nobody gets to our age, or they become a part of the Republic, or they just bow down to them...fucking young people, need to find spines." The less old man said.

"Then there's the idiots who go on scouting missions for the republic to find a GECK." The youngest old man said.

"Fools! All the GECKs are gone." The less old man said.

"I just..." The youngest old man was interrupted by the less old man.

"You didn't say it." The less old man said.

"It was obvious that he was implying it, that's why he called whoever went to find it idiots." The really old man argued.

"So...if one was to...say, want to take down the Republic...what would you advise this person?" Alec said.

"Take down the Republic? What are you smoking, if anybody could, we would have long ago...but, I guess we could tell you all we know about them." The youngest old man said.

"What do we know about them? We don't know where they came from, when they formed, we don't even know their main goal besides be lunatic assholes and take over towns." The ancient old man said.

"He's got a point...I mean we occasionally hear things, as sometimes we climb up to the manholes and just listen, because what the hell else are we going to do down here?" The really old man said.

"Of course...they don't say anything really useful outside, as that would be retarded for a dictator of a faction to do..." The youngest old man said.

"Actually, I remember encountering a group elsewhere in the sewers...I could lead you there. The group is a resistance underground group, really stereotypical. Oh, let's meet in the sewers. Like they won't expect THAT." The really old man said.

"Can you guys continue doing that eavesdropping thing for me?" Alec asked.

"Sure, why not. Nothing else to do in this god forsaken dump. Fucking youngsters...er...not you, those who decided to start meeting in the sewers, even though they have the freedom to go outside..." The less old man grumbled.

Alec got up, picked up EEB, and began to follow the really old man, and quickly, they walked away from the rest of the old men.

_**End of Chapter Twenty Five: The Old Men**_


	27. Screams In A Sewer

**Chapter Twenty Six: Screams In A Sewer**

Alec and the really old man walked through the sewers, Alec following the really old man's steps.

"What is that thing anyways?" The really old man asked, looking at EEB in Alec's arms.

"It's...well, when it's in operational state, it's an eyebot...it's a robot that flies. It got hit by one of the Republic's grenades, hasn't been working since. Going to find some spare parts eventually and fix it...right now, I'm using it's weapon as my weapon, since it still works." Alec explained.

"Was there anybody else with you that survived the attack on your town?" The really old man asked.

"...My cousin." Alec said.

"Where is he? Wouldn't he want to be with you?" The really old man asked.

"...I actually bumped into him up there, then he got me down here before the Republic was about to shoot me." Alec said.

"Well that was nice of him." The really old man said.

"Not really. He was the original person who was meant to shoot me. But he recognized me, and let me go down through the manhole. You would think that's nice, but he said the next time I see him, he WILL shoot. As he wanted me to just head east in the sewers to leave this city entirely. But fuck that. We walked so far to make it to Toronto, to tell Toronto about what happened to our town, but it turns out the people who fucked our town controls Toronto." Alec said.

"So now, both of you are on opposing sides...that's a bit of a twist." The really old man said.

"Yeah." Alec said, wondering how far they would have to walk to get to this "Underground" group. They continued walking, until the really old man grabbed a hold of Alec, and dragged him into the shadows. "What the hell are yo-" Alec's mouth was instantly covered up by the really old man's, as he slightly looked around the corner of the wall.

There were three Republic soldiers, walking through.

"God damn it, WE'RE the ones who have to fucking search for this god damn resistance group." The first Republic soldier complained, looking at his feet which were deep into the muck of the water.

"Maybe you shouldn't have fucking insulted Commander Jack, you fucking retard." The second Republic soldier said, angrily.

"Yeah, it's your fucking fault we're down here. I could be tapping that sweet wife of yours." The third Republic soldier said to the first Republic soldier.

"I'll fucking leave you lifeless down here, you'll be floating with all the other shit." The first Republic soldier said.

"Well no offense, but your wife was the uh...town...sample before you married here. Sorry man." The second Republic soldier said.

"I'm going to beat both of your asses, now come on...let's just fucking find these assholes and get out of here..." The first Republic soldier said, growing angry.

"Yeah, you already smell like shit enough normally." The third Republic soldier said, as they all made a turn and passed where Alec and the really old man was hiding.

"Well, they're brutish." Alec whispered.

"This isn't funny, they're heading towards the others...no doubt they'll try to start some shit. Do you have a good aim with that bot's laser?" The really old man asked.

"Good enough." Alec said. Both of them walked out into the middle of the sewer's path, and the really old man had a knife in his hands, and it looked as if he was about to launch it at one of the walking away soldiers, but he was waiting for Alec to be ready. Alec nodded, and the really old man launched his knife, as Alec fired EEB's laser cannon.

The knife hit and went right through the second Republic soldier's neck, and he began to gurgle as blood flowed out.

"HOLY FUCK!" The third Republic soldier screamed, suddenly seeing the second Republic soldier' on the ground, blood still coming from his neck, as he died.

But the third Republic soldier was hit by the laser from EEB's cannon, and vaporized on contact.

The first Republic Soldier was stunned at what had happened in about two seconds. He quickly grabbed his rifle, but another laser flew through the air, and knocked it right out of his hands.

"Don't move for that rifle, or you'll end up like your friend, a pile of ash, or with a knife in your throat." Alec warned. The remaining Republic soldier's hands stopped right where they were.

"Fuck...you're of the Underground group, aren't you? God damn it..." The Republic Soldier said, depressed.

"No, we were actually going to meet them. Funny how that works. But now we can take you there." Alec said.

"What?" Both the Republic soldier and the really old man said.

"He's not going to leave alive, or leave at all. They probably would love some information from an alive Republic soldier, and considering we already killed two, why not?" Alec said.

"Then again...you do have a point. We can't have a witness." The really old man said.

"Trust me, I won't say anything, just let me live." The Republic soldier begged.

"No, fuck you, if you're weak willed enough to surrender to us and not say anything about this, then you're weak enough to tell your boss when he demands to know what the fuck happened down here." Alec said.

"What if I said I was going to say something?" The Republic soldier asked.

"Then we would definitely not be able to let you go." Alec said.

"WHAT THE FUCK COULD I SAY FOR YOU TO LET ME GO THEN?" The Republic soldier cried.

"...Well, nothing really." The really old man said.

"Well that's fucked up!" The Republic soldier said.

"That's fucked up? What's fucked up is making fifty year old men have to go down and fucking live in the god damned sewers for thirty years even though they fucking helped place the supports of that god damned town!" The really old man yelled, kicking the Republic soldier in the face.

"You guys were fifty when you moved down here?" Alec asked, being distracted.

"Well, in the fifty range. The oldest was sixty." The really old man said.

"Fuck, I'm sorry! I have no control over that...just...please, let me go. I have a wife, I have a kid..."

"Well, you have a good life up above, don't you? You wouldn't like feasting on rats, and drinking the very same water that you, and your dead friends are in, would you?" The really old man said.

"I think we should break his legs before we take him there, just to prevent him from running." Alec said.

"What?" Please, don't break my legs! PLEASE!" The Republic soldier cried, being reduced to tears.

"Well, you break the left one, I'll break the right one." The really old man said, putting his left shoe on the Republic soldier's chest, to keep him down.

"No, no, no, please don't! You don't have to do this..." The Republic soldier cried, which was followed up by his screams, as both of his legs were broken simultaneously. Screams in a sewer.

_**End of Chapter Twenty Six: Screams In A Sewer**_


	28. Becoming The Leader They Need

**Chapter Twenty Seven: Becoming the Leader They Need**

After some more walking, now dragging a Republic soldier with broken legs through the muck, they finally got to what seemed like a dead end.

"This is it? It's just a wall." Alec said.

"Jesus, have some faith in the elderly, would you?" The really old man said, suddenly walking up to the door, and knocking three times on the center of the wall. Suddenly the center section of it, flew open. A man in leather armor stepped out, clutching a double barreled shotgun.

"We come bearing a gift." Alec said, pointing at the Republic soldier, who was pushing himself up with his arms so his mouth would be above the muck.

"Jesus. Alright, come in." The Rebel said, seeing that the soldier's legs were broken. Alec and the really old man walked into the Rebel Headquarters.

"Actually, think I might go back. Too old for all this rebel stuff. You kids have fun though, trying to overthrow an entire dictator of a faction." The really old man said, walking back outside. The Rebel gate keeper closed the hidden entrance after the old man left. They began to walk through the sewer hall that was actually pretty dry comparing it to the rest of the sewer. Alec was still dragging the Republic soldier, and ignoring his pleas to stop.

"So, this is the underground?" Alec said.

"Yeah, you do not know how fucking hard it was to move an entire group carrying weapons and armor concealed, into a sewer, without getting caught. But if you found bitch boy here, down here then they're getting closer to us." The Rebel said as they walked into the headquarters of the Rebels.

"So you guys are Canadians or...?" Alec asked, curious.

"We are Canadians, all of us. Are some of our blood directly coming from or mixed with American blood? Who's to say?" The Rebel said.

There was many other rebels around, some of them were tinkering with guns and other equipment, someo f them were conversating with others, and some of them were simply staring at the new guy who was dragging a Republic soldier through their headquarters.

"Okay, everyone! Listen up. This guy..." The Rebel was interrupted by Alec.

"Alec." Telling his name to the Rebel.

"Alec, is here to join our ranks. He has even brought a gift." The Rebel said, pointing at the Republic soldier.

"Oh God...just let me go..." The Republic soldier cried.

"Broke his legs so he can't run. Might want to search him." Alec said.

"Good point, might have some type of communication to his asshole friends up there." One of the Rebels said, quickly going to the Republic soldier to search him, holding his still working arms down.

"I came from Ottawa. Was the capital of Ontario in the pre-war era...we had a good town there, a good life there. But then, recently, it was attacked and burned down. I didn't know back then, but it's by the very same people who control the city up there. The Republic. They've taken my town, my uncle, my dog, and my god damn cousin became one of them. They also destroyed Oshawa. another town, nearby. We have to rise up against these assholes." Alec spoke.

"What the hell do you think we've been trying for the last, I don't know how many years?" One of the Rebels yelled back.

"I don't mean protest, I don't mean openly oppose them, I mean striking them. Faction warfare, is grim, and it's unlikely that we will win...but Toronto should be free, not controlled by the Republic. Hell, ever since I was little I've heard things about Toronto, a free, still mostly intact city, that survived the flames that scarred Canada. I came to Toronto seeking help, seeking a city to settle in, now that I had lost my own." Alec continued to speak.

"You speak as if you have influence. You speak as if you are our leader. But you have not been here for a day." Another Rebel said, speaking against Alec.

"I would fight for you, but...faction warfare...we are just a small group of Rebels. We cannot take down the Republic alone." Yet another Rebel said.

"We will take piece by piece of the town. We'll do acts that will convince people to join, or in the very least, begin to doubt the Republic. You guys are leaderless, aren't you?" Alec asked.

"Well, we had a leader. But, a few days ago he was hung in the center of Toronto. Ever since then people have been even more afraid of speaking out against the Republic." A third Rebel said.

"And as someone said, I have only been in the town a day. I would go and explore through the town to see and find out more, but if I go out, I will no doubt get shot by the Republic." Alec said.

"Well one day in, and your corpse is already wanted by the Republic. Maybe you WILL fit in, after all." The Rebel Gatekeeper said.

"Actually, I have an idea. I've been toying with this said idea in my head for a while now, but now that we have bitch boy here, I can actually have someone try it out. Why not just use this asshole's get up, and head outside?" The Rebel who was searching the Republic hostage said.

"That's actually a good idea...especially due to the fact that they wear those masks." Alec said.

"Where would we even target to take over, if we did succeed?" One of the Rebels said.

"Well, food, water, guns, supplies...sources of all of these things, and we would gain a lot of power. Not to mention if we got to the food and water, we could give more to the population of Toronto, and they would feel more well towards us, than the Republic who has been controlling them for how ever long." Alec said.

"Hell, we might actually be able to do this. The last leader's plan was just to shoot at the Republic. How the hell was that going to help? If we have strategy..." The Rebel Gatekeeper said.

"So...who wants to strip our guest here of his ugly outfit?" One of the Rebels asked.

"LEAVE ME MY DIGNITY YOU ASSHOLES!" The Republic Hostage cried.

"Anywhere I can sleep?" Alec asked.

"Anywhere. It's a Rebel headquarters located in a sewer, not a hotel." The Rebel Gatekeeper joked, getting back to his post at the door with his double barreled shotgun.

Alec walked over to a corner of the headquarters that was unoccupied, and sat up against the wall with EEB set next to him, and eventually drifted off to sleep. Just like that, he was going to begin becoming the leader they need, tomorrow.

_**End of Chapter Twenty Seven: Becoming the Leader They Need**_


	29. Slumming It Up In The City

**Chapter Twenty Eight: Slumming It Up In The City**

Alec, now donning the metal armor and the mask of the Republic, climbed out of a manhole that was in one of the alleys of Toronto. He put the rifle of the Republic Hostage on his back, wanting to look as much as a Republic Soldier he could. He had left EEB, and his bag at the Rebel Headquarters after resting there for the night. Feeling ready, he walked out of the alley, and onto the streets of Toronto after covering up the manhole with snow in the alley.

The streets bustled with busy, depressed looking, and grumbling out loud citizens. Alec noticed that the citizens were watching him, as if fearful of him. Then again, he was disguised as a Republic Soldier.

Alec walked through the streets, just observing what was happening in the city. He saw a conflict happening outside of a building that had a sign that said Edward's Supermarket. There was a man in what looked like the outfit from the pre-war store, and he was shivering because he had no coat. That man was arguing with a Republic soldier right in front of the store.

"You can't do this! It's been my store for thirty years!" The man in the store outfit pleaded.

"I'm sorry sir, but yes we can." The Republic Soldier said.

"I've gave all of the Republic a discount when supplying them, then I've just been giving you free food, but please, do not take my store!" The man cried.

"We need it, now, goodbye sir. Continue any longer, and you will have even less." The Republic soldier said, walking in the store and locking the door behind him.

"How can I have less? That store was my life!" The original owner of the store cried.

Alec walked on, making a mental note about the repossessed supermarket. He saw a heavily guarded store, that turned out to be a gun store, according to the sign, but it the sign had writing over what it originally used to say. "We do not sell guns to citizens, don't bother." Republic soldiers were on top of and around the building. He made a mental note of the gun "store" as well. He then ended up at a general goods store, that wasn't just controlled by the Republic, it was run by it completely, which Alec realized because of the soldier who was the salesman.

"Ah, a fellow Republic man. Need anything?" The Republic Soldier Slash Salesman asked.

"No, I'm fine right now." Alec said.

"Well, if you're sure, as you know the deal. Citizens pay more, plus tax, and we get a discount." The Republic Salesman said. Alec simply nodded and continued through the city, passing a few Republic soldiers beating down on some man.

"All I did was-argh!" The man screamed as he was kicked in the side repeatedly by the soldiers.

"You are a thief!" One of the soldiers yelled down at the man.

"I stole some meat to feed my starving son!" The man cried.

"Well, we'll have you and your dirty brat hauled away and thrown into the west city, and allow the ghouls to rip both of you apart." One of the soldiers yelled.

"I...am sorry, please! Don't kill him!" The father cried.

"No, he dies tonight, and we'll make you watch!" One of the soldiers yelled, as all of them walked away. The father simply sat there, sobbing in pain. Alec walked over and crouched down to the father's level, quickly speaking to him before he panicked at Alec's disguise.

"Listen, I can help your son. Trust me, and tell me where he is." Alec said.

"...The house of scrap, it's door is of a pre-war bus, south of here." The father cried, desperate for help, even if it was from someone dressed as a Republic soldier, a kind one though. Alec nodded, got back up, and continued walking through the city. They came to what appeared be a water purification building, and several citizens were screaming through the locked door.

"Let us in! Let us in! We need more water!" They all cried. Suddenly a Republic sniper appeared out of nowhere on the roof of the water purification building.

"Only one warning shot assholes!" The Republic sniper yelled down, shooting once, which caused the crowd to disperse.

Alec continued walking, and eventually found his way to the CN tower's base. It was even more heavily guarded. The guards at the base of the tower turned Alec away, saying that only guards designated to the inside, engineers, specialists, and VIPs of the Republic were allowed inside.

There were a few other food distributors, some other shops for general and miscellaneous goods. All of which were controlled by the Republic.

However, he did see something that instantly caught his sight that was on display of one of the miscellaneous stores. A broken eyebot, that had the letters E-DENIS on them. Alec quickly approached the shopkeeper, curious about the broken eyebot, as he knew he would be able to scavenge the parts he needed for EEB from it.

"Ah...a Republic...soldier. Welcome! I'm...not shaking in fear, no. It's just...I'm colder than usual, yeah, that's it. Uh...anything you see, it's on the house!" The shopkeep said, fearful of Alec in his disguise.

"...How about that hunk of scrap metal over there...? The thing that looks like a robot?" Alec asked.

"Well...that was a unique item we found on our very dangerous trip that we almost died on-fine...take it. All yours." The shopkeeper said, surrendering to Alec.

Alec nodded, walked over to the eyebot, and picked it up. Same weight as EEB, which he had grown accustomed to carrying after his trek through those godforsaken sewers with it.

"Thanks." Alec said.

"Don't...mention it." The shopkeeper said, having never heard a Republic soldier actually say thanks or show any form of gratitude. Alec made his way back to the manhole he had came from, and carefully descended with the eyebot, still not knowing how he was capable of descending with it. His time of slumming it up in the city was done, for now.

_**End of Chapter Twenty Eight: Slumming It Up In The City**_


	30. Wish Me Luck

**Chapter Twenty Nine: Wish Me Luck**

Alec was let in by the Rebel Gatekeeper yet again, and closed the door right behind him.

"Well, good news everybody." Alec said, while walking over to where he had put EEB and his bag. "There's a hell of a lot of things we could do to start off our battle against the Republic. But, tonight, I'm going to go earn two possible friends tonight. The more members, the better. Though, it'll get cramped easily down here. Not to mention the chance of being seen or followed. But I can't just let those assholes execute his son." Alec said.

"Helping out against just one of the Republic's many executions? Well...I guess a start is a start." The Rebel Gatekeeper commented, from his post.

"Yeah. I also saw that they were scattered around the town. The most soldiers being at the Gun store, and of course the CN Tower. This means, that most likely not all guards will be guarding the other places in the town. We get the food source, we get the water purification plant? It's ours. If we convince and get the people to side with us, then we'll even get the hunters of the town on our side also, another source of meat and food. The water purification plant though, has a crack shot of a sniper on top of it though, extremely aware from what I saw. Another thing I've noticed, not all of the Republic is here and defending this town, if they were, there'd be many more around." Alec said.

"They don't sell guns to citizens. Hell, hunters only are supplied them until they come back, then they're stripped of their guns by the Republic." A Rebel said.

"As for the water purification plant...funny story, I know of a drainage pipe inside the sewer that leads up inside. That means no worry of being shot by the sniper. I took the ladder for the drainage pipe, just in case if any of the assholes in the plant notice it. You'd climb up the ladder, twist the thing on the cover, swim through, and close it back up, if not, then the water will drain, meaning you won't have a way to get up, as the only way up is swimming. Plus, the water will drain into the sewer, meaning they'll know something is going down here, if some guy managed to swim up the pipe from the sewer, and then drain water into the sewer. Oh, and you're going to need a rebreather, as the handle is rusty as shit, meaning it'll take longer to open. Trust me on this one, I've tried it. Almost died. Sucked." Another Rebel said.

"Good, I'm sure I can find, or even find a way to build a rebreather." Alec said.

"So what's your plan for the whole, defending that guy's son from a bunch of soldiers?" The Rebel Gatekeeper asked, curious.

"Okay, hold on for a second, you guys who keep talking to me never told me your names. I'm starting to get confused." Alec said, being addressed by several other Rebels in a row.

"I'm Tim." The Rebel who told Alec about guns not being allowed citizens, said.

"My name, is Kevin. I'm the uh...wild card of the Rebels. For instance, I actually tried to climb through a pipe in attempts to infiltrate the water plant, as I just told you a minute ago." The Rebel with the plan to get into the water plant said.

"Me, I'm Joe." The Rebel Gatekeeper said.

"Well, it's...a start, I'll remember everyone else's names eventually." Alec said, beginning to tinker with EEB, to see what parts needed to be replaced. "Anyhow, my plan is to wait until before night, go and sit behind the house of the kid and father, the soldiers are going to appear, and shoot them all until they're dead. Of course, going to need to change my outfit, as I don't want to give it away that, Oh hey, I've been dressing like one of you this whole time." Alec said.

"Got a white hooded armored jacket, if you want that." Tim offered.

"I'll take it." Alec said, catching the white hooded armored jacket that Tim threw to him.

"But while I wait, I'm going to fix my friend here." Alec said.

"That thing worked before?" Kevin asked, interested in Alec's eyebot.

"Yeah...was a pretty handful companion, not to mention even after he was damaged and disabled, I used his weapon as my weapon when one of those Republic assholes took their gun back." Alec said, still tinkering with EEB. "Too bad I'm not going to be able to take it topside without drawing attention, but at least it'll be here, as a defense tool." Alec said.

After a while with swapping parts from E-DENIS and EEB, he was capable of bringing EEB back to working order, and turning him on. EEB let out quick, almost happy sounding, beeps.

"Holy shit, it does fly." Kevin said. "Can I...look at it? I might be able to give it some armor upgrades and laser upgrades after some tweaking." Kevin asked.

"Kevin, I swear to God, if it's like that god damn explosives project you were working on..." Joe warned Kevin.

"It won't be...I promise...this time." Kevin said.

"Sure...just...be careful, alright?" Alec said, giving permission to Kevin. After some more time passed, Alec took off his disguise, and put the white armored hooded jacket over his original shirt. He put the hood over his head. "Wait...shit. I just remembered about the whole citizens can't carry guns thing. What the hell am I going to bring to this gunfight?" Alec said, remembering.

"Here." Joe said, tossing a magnum to Alec.

"Holy shit, where'd you get a magnum from?" Alec said, shocked at what he caught.

"Funny story, I actually found that down here. I don't know who the hell had it down here, but hey, a magnum is a magnum." Joe said. "Better be a crack shot though, I don't have that much ammo." Joe said, throwing the box of ammo as well.

"...Well, I learned from the best, but now the best is a Republic soldier...so..." Alec said. "Anyways, I'm off. Wish me luck." Alec said, walking out of the Rebel Headquarters base, after hiding the magnum that had safety turned on, in his shoe, which is why he put safety on as he didn't want to shoot his own foot while walking, and the ammo from the box in his pockets, but he loaded a lot of it into the magnum, so he wouldn't have to when he got into the fight.

_**End of Chapter Twenty Nine: Wish Me Luck**_


	31. The Hooded Man

**Chapter Thirty: The Hooded Man  
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Alec quickly got out, through the manhole of the alley he was beginning to really get used to. He covered it up, naturally, and put his hood up, and began to walk towards where he believed the house was. It was already getting dark, so he wanted to hurry.

When he got there, the group of Republic Soldiers he had saw earlier were already attempting to break down the door, by kicking it. Alec knew that he had to act fast, if not, they would succeed in getting to them.

"You know what we're here for, thief! Pay your debt for stealing from the Republic!" One of them yelled through the door, as the other kick it.

"I only stole to provide for my son!" A yell came from inside. "And you will get him through my dead body!" The voice continued.

"You know we will!" The taunting Republic soldier yelled back. Alec pulled the magnum from his shoe, fully loaded, with eight bullets. He whistled, and got the attention of the taunting Republic soldier, and blew his head off.

"Holy shit!" One of the Republic soldiers yelled, suddenly seeing the other soldier's now headless corpse fall to the ground, he pulled out his rifle and began to shoot at Alec, but Alec wisely dodged it by jumping to the side, away from the gun spray, and shot again, knocking the rifle out of his hands. The Republic soldier swore, as he quickly and desperately tried to reach for his rifle which was now in the snow. But Alec shot again, a bullet hitting the soldier right in the neck. Another corpse fell into the cold snow.

The third Soldier who had been kicking the door, finally said fuck it, as he just realized that both of his fellow soldiers had been shot, and turned around and began to open fire on Alec. Right when he did turn around, the door he had been working to kick open, flew open, and an enraged father emerged with the upper hand due to surprise, and cut the soldier's throat as he shot at the ducking and dodging Alec, who blended in with the piles of snow behind him quite nicely. The armored "hoodie" was a boon.

"You...why'd you help me? Who are you?" The man asked.

"You don't know me, but I talked to your earlier today, said I would help you. Now I have." Alec said, walking over to the dead bodies of the soldiers who had harassed the father and son. He crouched down, and picked up all three of their rifles, while getting their ammo. He strapped one of them onto his back after putting his magnum back in his shoe with the safety on, gave one to the father, and kept one for himself.

"Come on. Now that there's three dead soldiers in front of your house, they're going to be coming after you and your boy. I'm going to make things different. You can come and stay with us, or stay and die with the men who would kill your son for you stealing something for your son to eat." Alec said.

"...Oscar and I will come with you." The father said.

"Hurry and get anything you can carry that you need out of your house, as they'll be coming soon." Alec said.

"All I need is my son." The father said, running back inside of his house, and scooping up the sleeping boy off of the bed, while still holding the rifle with his main hand.

"...On second thought, I'll make a distraction for you. There's an alley, there's a manhole there, get down there into the sewers, and fine a think wall that looks like a dead end, knock three times. Don't wait for me. But keep out of sight." Alec whispered. He then further described the directions of how to find the thin wall, but being quiet about it.

"Alright. I'll...meet you there. Thanks...uh...I don't even know your name." The father said.

"My name? For now...you can call me The Hooded Man." Alec said. "Now go. As I hear them coming." Alec said. The father holding his son, sprinted out of sight, as several soldiers ran up to Alec, having heard the commotion from the fight.

"You killed these men! You'll die for your treason against the Republic!" One of the five soldiers yelled.

"Will I?" Alec asked, quickly shooting twice with the rifle, hitting one in the head, killing him, and one in the chest, badly wounding him, while ducking and covering. He made it back to the father's old house, and used it as cover. However the soldiers just did not give up, and advanced on him, and even tried to flank him. But he shot the one who was trying to get around to his exposed side right between the eyes. "You already only have two now, you had five! You're not doing so good!" Alec yelled, laughing.

"God damn it! It's one man! Fucking kill him already!" One of the remaining soldiers yelled at the other one.

"You haven't killed him yet either!" The second remaining soldier yelled back.

"Fuck!" The first remaining soldier screamed, as he got shot in the chest just like the badly wounded one who couldn't fight any longer.

"God damn it!" The last remaining soldier who could still fight screamed.

Alec went around the other corner of the building, that he knew that the soldier wasn't watching. He made a charge through the snow, jumped up and landed on one of the bleeding out soldiers, and leaped off of him towards the last remaining soldier. He turned around to shoot Alec, but it was too late. Alec gun bucked him, which caused him to fall to the ground. Alec shot the soldier right in the face now that he was on the ground, then walked over and shot both of the other two, killing them as well.

"...If the Republic has to die, then I guess I'll kill eight at a time until they run out of men." Alec said. He almost laughed, but he resisted it, as laughing at the dead wouldn't do him any favors karma wise, even though they were monsters. "The Hooded Man...heh." Alec laughed, at the title he called himself to the father. He quickly evacuated the area, after picking up three more of the rifles and their ammo. Why not also get more equipment for the underground while he was at it? Couldn't hurt.

_**End of Chapter Thirty: The Hooded Man**_


	32. The Interrogation

**Chapter Thirty One: The Interrogation**

"Woo..." Alec sighed, climbing back down into the sewer. He ran back to the Rebel Headquarters and made it inside. He didn't see the father on the way, so he most likely already made it inside before he did. The Rebel Gatekeeper, Joe, closed the door right away.

"Thanks man." The now relieved father said, having waited for Alec to arrive. He walked back to the wall where he had set his deep sleeper of a son.

"No problem." Alec said to the father. "Here, have a few presents from the Republic." Alec said, handing the rifles he had taken from the dead Republic soldiers to the rebels who constantly handled guns and equipment.

"So, now the bees in the hive are riled up?" Kevin asked, still inspecting EEB.

"If they aren't riled up now, they aren't happy. Killed eight of their soldiers." Alec said. "Get anything out of the hostage?" Alec asked.

"Not a god damned thing." Tim said, standing in front of the Republic soldier that Alec had taken hostage.

"Hey, fuck you. I have a name you know. It's Herbert." The Republic Hostage said, still refusing to speak about the Republic.

"Herbert? What type of name is that?" Tim laughed.

"Shut up, Timmy." Herbert The Hostage said.

"Hey, cripple, shut the fuck up." Tim said.

"I am not a cripple! My legs are broken, not fucking crippled! I'm god damned disabled." Herbert said.

"Disabled? I'll show you disabled if you don't fucking talk soon!" Alec yelled.

"About WHAT?" Herbert yelled.

"What do you mean about what? About the god damned Republic, about what they're doing in Toronto!" Tim yelled.

"I'm just a fucking soldier! I don't know much." Alec said.

"Well that's obvious." Tim said.

"Fuck you." Herbert responded.

"Then tell us what little you do know!" Alec yelled.

"...No." Herbert said.

"I'm beginning to lose my patience, Herbie." Alec said, pulling out his knife.

"What are you doing Alec? You already broke his legs, leave the poor man alone!" Tim yelled.

"No! If he doesn't want to crack, then I will cut him the fuck open! Are you ready Herbie? We're going to go on a magical thrill ride, you and me! And want to know a secret, Herbie?" Alec asked, in a more insane tone.

"He doesn't want to know! Look, he pissed his pants already!" Tim yelled, pointing out the fact that Herbet did actually piss his pants.

"Oh, the good cop and bad cop routine. Cliché, but alright." Kevin said, watching Alec and Tim interrogate Herbert the Hostage.

"I like the feel when the knife slices into the flesh, the sound it makes, the feel of the blood. Just close your eyes for a second...I'm going to make myself happy noises." Alec whispered to Herbert, who was literally paralyzed in fear...and urine.

"OKAY, stop! Please stop! I'll talk..." Herbert cried.

"Where did the Republic come from?" Alec asked.

"Quebec...their heart is there." Herbert said.

"QUEBEC? Pre-war French Canada? Ugh,no wonder why they came to Ontario..." Joe commented from his post.

"Leader?" Alec said.

"Jack Merrows. Heartless bastard, not in this city, but he'll probably relocate to here if things get bad for the Republic in the city. Which I assume by this group, it will." Herbert said.

"How many are here of the Republic?" Alec asked.

"Well...soldiers...last time I was up there, maybe ninety. Though there's always more coming and going." Herbert said.

"Well, in my day here, I've killed ten, and captured one. That's you Herbie." Alec said.

"Yay." Herbert sarcastically said.

"What are the most least guarded parts of the city?" Tim asked.

"Sewers." Herbert said.

"Oh...I get it, you're being a smart ass." Alec said, slowly pulling his knife back out.

"Look! I don't know okay? I'm just a patrol soldier! I got sent out on a patrol down here, and here I am. I don't pay attention to defenses and how many soldiers are here and there..." Herbert said.

"What are some ways to really fuck up the Republic?" Alec asked.

"Morale, supplies, leadership. Pick one. Could set fire to the barracks, it'd get reduced to ash, soldiers lose their place to sleep, they get pissed. Then in turn, they would probably use peoples' homes to sleep in whether they liked it or not. Then in turn, the people would get even more pissed at the Republic, helping you. Leadership, kill one of the higher ranked's walking up around topside, and after a while, things will begin to deteriorate. Supplies, you already talked about that. Though, they have some caravans that go north to their heartland, could take them out." Herbert went on and on.

"You've been very helpful, Herbie. Any other things that you can tell us to help out around here, and maybe I will continue not killing you like those other two goons you were walking with down here." Alec said.

"They were assholes anyways." Herbert said. "Though they didn't break my legs." Herbert said.

"Necessary precaution. Anyhow, anything else?"  
>Alec asked.<p>

"There are some Republic soldiers who actually don't feel strongly about the Republic. The squad is called "1348 Beta", if you can find them, you could possibly convince them to become a part of the underground. While ex-Republic men, they're fighting prowess would no doubt be a benefit to your cause." Herbert said. "Now...are you ever going to let me go?" Herbert asked.

"I will when this is all over." Alec said. "But thanks for helping." Alec said, having finished the interrogation.

**_End of Chapter Thirty One: The Interrogation_**


	33. Surplus Water

**Chapter Thirty Two: Surplus Water**

Alec slept the rest of the night uncomfortably on the floor. He woke up in the morning, due to Kevin repeatedly shaking him.

"Alec, look what I managed to find floating through the cesspool that is the Toronto sewers!" Kevin said, holding a mask of some sorts in his hand. "A rebreather!" Kevin smiled.

"That's good Kevin but...did you clean it?" Alec asked, unsure if he should even touch the rebreather, let alone put it on his face.

"Nothing to clean it with." Kevin said.

"Well...thanks." Alec said, accepting the rebreather from Kevin.

"Oh! Also got you a waterproof case for that magnum, so you can take it with you." Kevin said.

"Thanks..." Alec said, reluctantly taking the strange smelling magnum case as well. "Are you ready to go? As I need you to carry your ladder." Alec said, taking his white armored hoodie off, and putting on his Republic disguise on.

"Sure!" Kevin said, already having the ladder with him. They both left the Rebel Headquarters and Alec began to follow Kevin, as he knew the sewers better than he did. He put his magnum and the rest of the ammo from his pocket all into the waterproof steel case. He also put the foul smelling rebreather on, trying to ignore the scent.

"So how is this going to work? If I have to open the way, while in the pipe, the water will flow out, and there'll be no way I can swim in against the direction that the water is flowing out." Alec said.

"I know." Kevin said. Alec stopped, not trusting in Kevin's plan entirely.

"How does this work?" Alec asked again.

"I have a big enough metal covering, I'll hold it against the opening, which will stop the water flow, and you'll be able to swim through." Kevin said.

"Are you strong enough to hold it against the water flow?" Alec asked.

"Yeah." Kevin said, carrying the ladder and the metal cover.

"...Well, good enough for me. Let's keep going." Alec said, continuing. They came to the pipe. However Kevin did not put up the ladder, as he saw something Alec didn't.

"Rats. Lots of them, together. Coming right for us." Kevin said.

"Oh god damn it!" Alec yelled, pulling out his knife as a horde of large sewer rats leaped at him. Rat after rat that leaped at him, he sliced through. He kicked rats while slicing them also. The rest of the rats scattered away, as if they had enough. Several dead rats floated through the water. The ground began to shake slightly, and there was a huge creature further in the shadows, getting closer.

"Is that really a..." Alec didn't even have to finish his sentence, as Kevin interrupted him, but answered his question.

"I call him Jack the Rat. Named after the leader of the Republic." Kevin said. Jack the Giant Rat ran through the sewer towards them, and both of them quickly ran to the side, and simply allowed the huge rat to pass.

"Holy hell..." Alec said, stepping back into the middle, below the pipe. "How long has that thing been down here?" Alec asked.

"For a very long time. No clue on how it got so big, though. Anyhow, let me get the ladder up." Kevin said, setting up the ladder. Alec climbed up the ladder, and then into the pipe. Alec looked behind him as he crawled through the pipe, and saw Kevin climbing up the ladder, holding a round circular metal cover. It looked like it was large enough to fit and block off the water that would be flowing through the pipe in a second, completely. Alec reached the cover that Kevin had told him about, that would open the way into the Water Purification plant, and he began to move the lever to open the way inside. Very quickly, water flowed into the pipe, but was stopped by the metal covering that was being held in place by a surprisingly strong Kevin. Eventually the whole pipe was full. Alec fully pushed the door open, and was about to swim open but he swore he could hear a voice from above.

"Hey, did the water level just drop?"

"Oh for fuck's sake...some reason the god damn pipe that goes to the sewer is open...I'll go fucking close it. While wearing my god damned armor."

He heard the sound of the soldier jumping into the water, and he instantly sunk, and Alec quickly grabbed a hold of his legs and pulled him down, and put his arm around his neck, and began to suffocate him underwater. When the soldier went lifeless, Alec pushed him into the pipe he had left, as the other soldier above didn't notice a thing, as he wasn't looking down at the water. He closed the covering, and he replaced his rebreather with the Republic mask he had folded and stuffed in his pocket. He quickly ascended and emerged out of the water.

"Well, took you long enough." The soldier commented. Alec simply rose a dripping thumbs to acknowledge the soldier. Alec grabbed onto the dry floor, and shook off the water.

"Now it's time for you to sleep." Alec said.

"What-" The Republic Soldier didn't have time to finish his thought, as Alec planted his knife right through the lone Republic Soldier's throat. Alec laid down the Republic Soldier, as blood gushed out of his neck.

Alec grabbed the Republic Soldier's loaded rifle and put it on his back. Kevin, down in the sewers, now he had heard the metal covering close back up, took off his metal covering, and the water trapped gushed out along with the dead Republic Soldier and pushed Kevin down into the cesspool of the sewer water.

Alec looked around. He saw a sign on the wall that said "Surplus Water."

_**End of Chapter Thirty Two: Surplus Water**_


	34. Let Me Save You Some Time

**Chapter Thirty Three: Let Me Save You Some Time**

Alec pushed the Republic Soldier's corpse into the pool of water, and walked across the platform to the door. He lockpicked the locked door, and went up the stairwell that was past it. He saw large machines, and people who looked like slaves, shoveling snow that they had brought from the outside into them. Then it appeared that they heated the snow, melting and turning it into water, and then the machines funneled the melted snow into another machine, which then purified it.

Alec had to hand it to them, the Republic were resourceful. They would probably just purify and use the lake water, but due to the fact that it's frozen, and they would have to make longer trips to get the water here...

Alec scouted the water purification building's first floor, taking note of how many soldiers there were, and all the locations that he could take cover against, if and when he opens fire on them.

He also saw where the stairs that led to the second floor were located, and he had also seen that there was numerous soldiers patrolling the platform around the first floor, watching the laborers, in case if they tried anything.

Alec walked hastily, but tried to make it look like he was a real Republic soldier by walking normally, towards the set of second floor stairs. He went up those, and then he saw the third floor stairs, past several soldiers, who were simply standing there, and not patrolling. He would no doubt have to distract them somehow. He ran up to them, instantly getting their attention.

"I saw like five laborers just sneak out of the building full of bottles of the water!" Alec said, lying to make up a distraction.

"What? Oh those sons of bitches...come on guys! New looking guy, stay here and guard this post, the stairwell leads all the way up to the roof, had some asshole laborers run up there and jump off, screaming life was unfair and some bullshit, so we had to start guarding there. Fucking sniper should have just stopped them, but he yelled jump off!" One of the soldiers yelled, while running down the stairs in chase of the non-existent water thieves.

Alec quickly ran up the stairwell, all the way to the very top, and opened the door to the roof. He saw the Republic Sniper was busy looking down at presumably more begging thirsty citizens, so Alec had the perfect opportunity to get him off guard. He crept slowly behind the Sniper, and when he was close enough, he stabbed the Sniper right in the back with his knife several times, and then snapped the Sniper's neck, while catching his sniper rifle which he almost dropped during all of this off of the building. He dragged the Sniper's body backwards, and out of sight. He then stepped onto the sniper's edge, looked through the scope of the sniper rifle, and as predicted, the previous soldiers he had tricked in going outside chasing after some fake water thieves, walked right out of the door.

Alec smiled, it was truly time to see how good of a shot he was. When the four soldiers stepped outside, the crowd instantly turned around and ran for their lives. The soldiers looked around, searching for water thieves, but they found nothing but death, as Alec picked one by one off. One was a headshot, the second was another headshot, the third was right through the neck, and the final one was right through the back. Alec noticed that other Republic soldiers instantly ran towards the building when they heard the gunshots. Alec quickly got out of sight, and was about to go back down into the building, but then he thought of an idea.

He quickly grabbed the sniper's corpse, and brought him to the edge of the building.

"What the fuck is going on up there...?" One of the Republic soldiers who was staring above at the top of the building said.

"YOU TRAITOR! HOW DARE YOU SNIPE FELLOW REPUBLIC MEN!" Alec's yell was heard from the top of the building, as he punched the sniper who had the sniper rifle on his back, which caused him to descend from the top and speed towards the ground. The Sniper's body hit the snow covered ground, his body becoming broken right when it landed.

"Woo! Nice way to show that fucking traitor!" One of the Republic Soldiers below clapped.

"...Holy shit I can't believe that worked." Alec whispered to himself. He rose his hand into the air, and then went back down into the building, still in disbelief that he was capable of tricking all of them after killing five Republic men from the rooftop.

Right when Alec got done climbing down stairs, he heard a scream.

"I just found two dead soldiers floating in the Surplus Water chamber! This building is now locked down, until we find the murderer! Laborers will be questioned and inspected first, Republic Soldiers will be identified afterwards, in case if there's a traitor in our ranks!" The Republic Soldier in front of the stairs that Alec had came up from the Surplus Water chamber.

Alec swore in his thoughts, it seems that he was finally cornered. There was no choice. If the gig was finally up, it was time to start the assault. Alec took a deep breath, as he was about to fight the most Republic soldiers at once, yet. To think not that long ago, he was simply a man living with his cousin, doing work around a simple town to help out. Now he was taking on two floors full of about...ten or so soldiers, by himself.

"Hey assholes! Let me save you some time!" Alec yelled, getting the attention of everyone on the second and first floor, as he pulled out his Republic rifle, and shot three or so of the soldiers who was on the second floor, killing each one of them. Most of the laborers quickly ran behind the machinery, cowering away from the soon to be gunfire.

_**End of Chapter Thirty Three: Let Me Save You Some Time**_


	35. Gunfight And Bottles of Water

**Chapter Thirty Four: Gunfight And Bottles of Water**

"You son of a bitch!" One of the Republic soldiers from below yelled, shooting his rifle several times at Alec. But Alec was already behind cover, firing back at them. Alec shot two or three of them in the chest, causing them to fall back. Alec quickly rolled and dodged to one of the dead soldiers on the second floor that he had killed a few minutes ago to get more ammo, but he ended up just saying "fuck it" and discarding the empty rifle and picking up the dead soldier's loaded one.

"God damn it, who the fuck is this asshole?" One of the soldiers yelled, angrily trying to hit Alec. Alec popped his head and rifle above his cover, and shot the soldier right in the shooting hand. "Fuck! Medic!" The soldier who got shot in the hand screamed.

"What the fuck do you mean medic! There's no medic in here, and you only got shot in the head, Frank's over here fucking dead, and you're bitching about a wound!" Another soldier screamed, shooting at Alec.

"I can't fight anymore!" The man with the hand wound cried.

"You pussy!" The other soldier screamed, but he got shot between the eyes a moment later, and fell to the ground right beside the hand wound soldier.

"Oh fuck!" The man with the hand wound screamed, panicking at the sight of the dead soldier. He crawled away, and eventually was able to get up, but Alec, comically, shot him right in the ass.

"ARGH! FUCK!" The wounded man screamed, as he fell to the ground.

"What the fuck man, get up and fire! He only shot you in the hand and ass!" Another soldier yelled at him.

"I'm in too much pain to get up!" The ass and hand wound soldier screamed.

"If you don't get the fuck up or at least pick up a god damn rifle and shoot from the god damned floor, I'm going to shoot you right in the fucking head!" The other soldier screamed at the wounded soldier, reloading his rifle behind cover.

"Okay, that was hilarious, but I think it's about time to end it for that guy." Alec said to himself, deciding to just shoot and kill the wounded soldier, but he missed, and hit his left arm.

"ARGH! WHY THE FUCK DOES THIS GUY KEEP TARGETING ME?" The wounded soldier screamed, his blood now everywhere.

"OH MY GOD IF YOU DON'T STOP BITCHING AND FIGHT, THEN GO FUCKING HIDE WITH THE LABORERS!" A second soldier yelled, shooting at Alec. This time the bullet was about an inch away from Alec's face.

"Holy shit, that time was too close..." Alec said, ducking back behind cover. Alec grabbed one of the grenades that was hooked on the dead Republic Soldier who was near him's belt, pulled the pin, and launched it over the cover, and right between the soldiers.

It landed at the feet of the wounded soldier.

"GUYS HELP ME!" The wounded soldier screamed, as he noticed that most of the other soldiers ran away. The wounded soldier was exploded into pieces, and some of the machines that were close, were partially damaged, and now began to leak, covering that section of the floor with water.

But the grenade worked as planned, as it got the soldiers out of cover long enough for Alec to shoot three of them right in the back of the head. There were only three of them left.

"God damn it, fuck this shit! I'm getting this asshole!" One of them yelled, running for the stairs that led up to the second floor. The other two followed his lead, adding extra support. Alec swore under his breath, as he realized that this rifle only had one more bullet left.

He managed to shoot the middle soldier in the face with his last bullet, he launched the rifle at the soldier on the right which caught him off guard and caused him to fall down the stairs, and he lunged towards the third still standing soldier who was about to shoot Alec and brought his knife back out swiftly to cut the soldier's throat. He jumped down the stairs and onto the man who had fell due to Alec throwing his rifle randomly at him, and he snapped his neck. It was strange, as it almost formed a pattern. In fact, Alec questioned how he was able to do all of that about a second after he had done it.

Alec sighed after he picked up a new rifle from one of the now dead soldiers. He wiped the blood of his mask from slicing the one soldier's throat. He walked back up the stairs to the second floor, and saw what had just transpired, which he hadn't even realized in the moment. The building was littered with bodies, and one section of the floor was covered in moist pieces of flesh from the soldier that was blown up by the grenade, and water was leaking from the purifying machines around it.

The water purification building had been emptied of the Republic. But unfortunately, Alec could not fortify it by his lonesome. He had dealt a pretty big blow to the Republic today though, in the least.

Suddenly a lone familiar Republic soldier ran into the building with his rifle out. Stephen.

"You! You're the cause of this, aren't you? I was told that a rogue soldier did all of this...you're the only one standing." Stephen yelled.

"Soldier? I guess I am now. Not of the Republic though." Alec laughed, speaking to his cousin.

"...Alec? You did this?" Stephen yelled. "I told you to get out through the sewers!" Stephen yelled, enraged that his cousin had disregarded his command to escape the city.

"I'm not running any longer." Alec said, boldly.

"God damn it, some times you just have to-" Stephen was interrupted by Alec.

"Oh what, just have to fold in to the murderers of your father and town? You're good at folding, I can tell you." Alec said.

"...Alec, I don't want to kill you." Stephen said, shaking with anger.

"Really? You said you would shoot me the next time you saw me. Are you going to fold on that too?" Alec yelled, having enough of his cousin.

Stephen shot at Alec, but he was quick enough to dodge it.

"I guess I've gotten faster, better since we walked the wastes together. But none of that matters now." Alec said.

"I can't believe that you'd be this stubborn..." Stephen said.

"Really? You can't? You were the most stubborn person I knew until you folded!" Alec yelled. "I guess the roles HAVE switched...well, Stephen. I'll give you this one time. The next time I see you, I'll shoot." Alec said, mimicking his cousin's words.

Stephen shook his head, and stormed out of the building. Alec grabbed all the rifles he could carry plus a crate of purified bottled water, and ran back down to the Surplus Water chamber, exchanged his Republic Mask with his Rebreather, and re-realized that the rifles would be no good after swimming, so he discarded them into the water anyways. If he couldn't bring them to the Rebels, then why allow the Republic reuse them? He jumped into the water with his crate of purified water, and opened the covering, and he let go of the crate, so he could grab a hold of the covering as the water he was in flowed through the opening, and because he still have a hold of it, the covering was brought to a close as he went into the pipe. He closed and locked the covering by turning the opening mechanism, and climbed out of the pipe, landing into the sewage, and almost landing on the box of purified water that had slid out of the pipe and into the sewage.

He picked himself up, grabbed the box of purified water, and made his way back into the Rebel Headquarters quickly. There, he brought the tale of his victorious gunfight and bottles of water.

_**End of Chapter Thirty Four: Gunfight and Bottles of Water**_


	36. The Red Road

**Chapter Thirty Five: The Red Road**

"So, what's with the name Muller? My cousin told me something about a legend behind it." Alec said, sipping from a bottle of the purified water.

"...Is Muller your last name?" Joe asked, looking worried.

"No, I'm just curious about the story." Alec said, lying about his last name.

"Well, the years of the annexation were a hellish time in Canada. Riots, executions, beat downs, murder, stealing, burning things down, it was chaos. All I've found about that period of pre-war time, was from non-feral drunk ghouls, old faded journals, and ancient terminals. America, was taking resources away from Canada, as America needed everything they could grab a hold of for the efforts against China. Obviously, Canadians resisted this, and began to riot. America sent power armored soldiers to end the riots. Not only that, America annexed Canada, which made Canadians even more angry. Muller, was one of the power armored riot control units. All of them did considerably evil things, but Muller was the worst of them all." Tim explained.

"He executed Canadians in the streets, made their families watch while he did it. He manhandled and raped Canadian wives, and brutally beat their children to near death. He set houses on fire with families inside. Actually, he was a sack of shit even before he entered Canada. A serial killer turned into a soldier. He saw his mission in Canada as a return to the life his twisted mind craved. He saw Ontario as a playground, a playground that belonged to him." Joe added on.

"The Republic may be assholes, but I don't blame them for wanting to pay back all that Muller did in some way...even if it was on his descendants. Hell, I'd probably punch a Muller right in the face too." Tim said.

Alec grew much more cautious very quickly, as he didn't want to know what their reactions would be if he did tell them that he was descended to that asshole.

"I heard a tale about him...it was called, The Red Road." Kevin said.

"Ah yeah, that one is a classic." Joe remarked.

"What's The Red Road?" Alec asked, curious.

"Well...the tale of Muller's downfall, an obvious loved story, considering who Muller was." Tim said.

"One morning, of October 2077...Muller emerged from bed, having broken pretty much every Canadian to his will in the town of Ottawa...the town you said you came from. One man, with the last name of Marwin stepped into town, having heard that Muller had finally stopped traveling and causing trouble among Canada, and rooted himself in Ottawa. He was determined to end Muller once and for all. Muller had taken a wife, and unfortunately, had several children." Tim told the story of the Red Road.

"And then?" Alec asked.

"He slammed his fist on Muller's door, several times. Muller emerged from the door, about to strike Marwin for disturbing him, but Muller dodged it, and a fight quickly ensued. The fight was fierce, and most of the people of Ottawa watched it, and would have helped Marwin beat Muller, but they were too afraid. Marwin was being beaten, and was on the verge of being defeated. However, he was capable of rising back up, as the people of Ottawa from their homes which they watched from, yelled to get up. He then caught both of Muller's hands as he tried to strike him, and broke them." Tim continued the story.

"Then...?" Alec said.

"He struck him several more times, causing his face to leak blood. He twisted both of Muller's arms and broke them, and he kicked his legs out from underneath him. Alec began to drag him down the road, beating him along the way, causing more and more blood to cover the road. When he reached the center of the town? He allowed the people of the town to come and rip him apart. The man was reduced to nothing but bones, and pieces of flesh attached to them. Most of the entire road was red with Muller's blood. It was the cruelest, and most brutal punishment that ever happened in Canada. And when people were asked about it, they said that he deserved it." Tim said.

"That...was dark. All the people ripped him apart? With...their hands?" Alec said.

"No, of course not...melee objects. Saws, axes, whatever." Tim said.

"Even the children?" Alec asked.

"They laughed." Tim said.

Alec was speechless, shocked by the tale of the Red Road, and his ancestor.

_**End of Chapter Thirty Five: The Red Road**_


	37. Fortifications

**Chapter Thirty Six: Fortifications**

"We should go and take over the water purification building before they even have a chance to take it back over." Alec said.

"Only problem with that is with that is with so many of us, we would take too long and drain the water completely, then the way you got up there, swimming, would be out of the question. Meaning we would need an extra ladder, and I don't think-" Tim was interrupted by Kevin.

"Oh, I have another ladder." Kevin said.

"...Well, that problem is solved then, don't know where you got the second ladder, but it works." Tim said.

"Or we could just say fuck it and attack on the surface." Joe said.

"And get slaughtered by all of the soldiers outside? I pass, not to mention that they'll see us coming out of the sewers. They'll put two and two together and find four, man." Tim said.

"Only real problem is holding the building against the Republic afterwards, as Alec already did the task of killing the original soldiers in there." Kevin said.

"We'll hold it, and afterwards we'll share the water with the citizens. Boosting our influence and no doubt our numbers." Alec said.

"I'm all for it. What's the plan?" Tim said.

"Me and Kevin will go first, I'll drain the water and set the second ladder. The reason for this is all that water is going to be coming down here, raising the water level a good deal. Then I'll stay up there to defend the second ladder, while Kevin goes and gets the main group led by Tim, and makes their way up there. When we're all together, we will take out any Republic soldiers that have manifested there after my original assault. We will then fortify the water purification building, and hold off against an assault from the Republic which will probably happen. During all of this Joe will remain here with the rest, in case if they somehow find our base here." Alec planned.

"Sounds good. Let's go, Al." Kevin said, grabbing his second ladder. Alec and Kevin walked out of the Rebel Headquarters and headed back to the pipe. Alec was carrying two loaded Republic rifles in his arms. They made it to the pipe where the first ladder stood.

"Okay, you take the ladder and both rifles, and go far away as you can until the water is drained, and I whistle for you." Alec said, handing Kevin the two rifles as well. Alec did not know how Kevin was so strong or how he could hold a ladder along with two rifles at the same time. He climbed up the ladder and into the pipe and quickly made it to the cover. He quickly opened it, allowing the water to flow out, which sent him flying out of the pipe, naturally. He nearly hit the first ladder, but he landed in the safe, perfectly clean, sewage water. He quickly got up and held the ladder firmly in place as the rest of the water poured out of the pipe. The sewer's water level increased a good deal as Alec said it was going to, though it was only slightly under his knees. Alec whistled, and Kevin came back with the two rifles and the second ladder.

Alec took one of the rifles and had Kevin help him with getting the second ladder up and into the pipe.

"Alright, go get the others." Alec said, putting on his Republic mask. Kevin nodded, and headed back to the Rebel Headquarters. Alec got back into the damp pipe, and pushed the second ladder all the way through until he heard the sound of it hitting the floor ahead. Alec crawled out of the pipe, but ended up falling on the same hard steel ladder he had just pushed through the pipe.

Alec grunted while getting up, and picked up the ladder to set it up to reach the platform that he had got to yesterday by just swimming up to it. He climbed up to it and waited for the others to start coming out of the pipe, one by one.

They all climbed up the ladder after crawling through the pipe, to join Alec.

"Okay, if there's soldiers beyond, we kill them. Then the water is ours. If there isn't, then the water is ours without a fight! Now let's move! For Canada!" Alec yelled, running up the stairs with the Rebels following him.

"Oh God damn it..." One of the Republic Soldiers who were cleaning up said, as he saw them emerge from the stairs of the Surplus Water chamber. There were about four this time, but due to the Rebels' group of ten, they easily wiped out the small amount of Republic Soldiers.

"Well, that was easy." Tim said.

"That wasn't going to be the hard part, remember? They're going to probably send a shit ton of soldiers to take the building back once they learn that we've occupied it." Alec said.

"So...time to start barricading, and the fortifications?" Kevin asked.

"Yeah, hopefully we can get this place where it'll be easy to defend before they decide to send the previously mentioned shit ton of soldiers.

"Do we have that sniper's sniper rifle or...?" Kevin asked, curious.

"No, it fell with the sniper's corpse after I pretended he was a traitor and I was killing him, after using his rifle to snipe several soldiers I tricked into going outside." Alec said.

"...Jesus Christ, I'll never make you angry." Tim said. They began to give the building fortifications, and block off the main doors.

_**End of Chapter Thirty Six: Fortifications**_

* * *

><p><strong>Another update down. 41,897 words. Also, I ended up messing up and not posting the REAL chapter twenty five (26 if you count the prologue). It's about a group of Old Men that were from one of the Canadian Vaults that reside in the sewer also. So you should read that too, it'll explain where the "Really Old Man" came from in the chapter after, as without it he kind of just appeared out of nowhere.<strong>

**Anyways, adios.**

**~TGG333**_**  
><strong>_


	38. Nothing But Hate

**Chapter Thirty Seven: Nothing But Hate  
><strong>

A year after the battle of the Water Purification Plant. The city of Quebec was being sieged by the faction that was originally the Rebels of Toronto. The faction? The Bringers of Unity. The irony? They were going to war against the Republic, out to completely destroy it.

The snow was coming down the hardest that it had ever been, but then again, it was Northern Canada. The army of the original Rebels had grown huge. Not only that, but they had even tamed the wild mooses of Canada, and some soldiers even rode on top of them. The Bringers of Unity even had robots, scavenged from somewhere. A single man donning ancient tinted red power armor lead the army towards Quebec.

The city was surrounded by fairly large and strong walls, capable of defending most offenders, but this wasn't just some offenders, this was an army, bent on the destruction of the entire Republic. The leader of the army, Alec, was also bent on finding a certain person among the city.

"If you find Stephen, you bring him to me." Alec commanded.

"Yes leader." The soldiers chanted.

"Oh soldiers of the Republic, you have been drove back so far...but now, look at you. You're cowering in your Quebec, but these walls will not save you. They will be brought down, easily. Demolition specialists!" Alec barked, having the troops trained for demolition begin their assault, with missile launchers, and grenade launchers.

Explosions rattled the scrap that the city gate and walls were built out of. Eventually they managed to blow a hole right in the gate.

"I'VE ALREADY KILLED YOUR LEADER IN TORONTO, NOW IT'S TIME FOR THE REST!" Alec yelled.

The army stormed the gate, only to find the city's interior empty. No civilians, no soldiers to defend it.

"God damn it...they're making a run for it..." Alec said. "Come on! Let's get those back doors open! We can't let them leave!" Alec yelled, wanting the entire destruction of the Republic.

"Alec...we already took back Toronto...we have Quebec now. We don't need to continue this." Tim said, being Alec's most trusted adviser.

"What do you mean we don't need to continue this? Do you want the Republic to revive? We must crush them..." Alec said.

"We already did! They're simply retreating for their lives!" Tim yelled.

"Then they will know that we are weak, that we would spare them, and then they will rise back up again!" Alec yelled.

"Ever since you got that tainted armor of your god damned ancestor...you've became more like him. We aren't trying to get unity anymore. You're trying to slaughter all of them. Just like your ancestor. Well, I'm not staying around for the Red Road part of this. As I won't have to drag you down it...you'll drag yourself down it." Tim said, walking away from Alec, and three fourths of the army went with him.

"Fine! I don't need you traitor! I'm not like my ancestor...I kill with a purpose!" Alec yelled.

"Do you? Because all I see is an insane man inside a husk of blood covered power armor who used to be my cousin!"

"Stephen..." Alec growled, turning back around to face Stephen.

"You've brought shame to your deceased aunt, and your deceased uncle. You've brought shame to me for being your cousin." Stephen said, wearing the armor of his ancestor, who had killed Alec's ancestor.

"You say that, even though you helped a corrupt organization that would have mistreated even the Canadians after executing everyone else." Alec said.

"They were corrupt due to one man, and that was Jack. You killed him yourself. The Rebels were just selfish brats who didn't want reform because they thought they were being mistreated, they wanted more. If they would have been fighting for a nobler cause...I would have helped them. Even your friend turned away from you." Stephen argued.

"I don't need him...the Republic will die. That is all I want." Alec said.

"The hate has gotten to you so much, that is all you can see, igniting a corpse that was already burned to death. The Republic is dead. I helped them evacuate the civilians because I knew that you...that you would come and be yourself. Be what Toronto made you into. Now I'm going to be forced to make history repeat, and drag Muller down the Red Road." Stephen said, pulling his rifle off of his back. "Funny what old names, old events, old grudges can make you do...what they can change you into...come on Alec, I'll appease your need for blood." Stephen said.

"The Red Road will be red with your blood this time..." Alec said, pulling his rifle off of his back.

The army that had originally supported him, turned away and walked away from Alec, abandoning him alone in the empty Quebec with Stephen. Then the back gate of Quebec swung open, and the returning army of the Republic having gotten the civilians away returned to back up Stephen, but Stephen commanded them to not attack when Stephen and Alec were fighting each other.

Alec's eyes were full of nothing but hate towards his cousin. Even if he did survive and beat his cousin and the reinforcements that stood behind him, his hate would only grow, even if the Republic died, the hate inside of him that was similar to Jack Merrows' would grow and go towards a new target, until he either killed everyone, or he was consumed by his own hate.

_**End of Chapter Thirty Seven: Nothing But Hate**_

* * *

><p><strong>Oh look, a chapter that gazes into the future of ANDoHa, which will probably be the sequel to this, as I plan to finish this as the first half of the story, and then next NaNoWriMo? The second half. That is, if I'm as insane as I am now to do NaNoWriMo again a year from now. But I probably will be. Anyhow, <strong>42,828<strong> words. Tomorrow, I get Skyrim, but I'm still going to try to finish NaNoWriMo at least by the 15th.**

**Adios.**

**~TGG333**_**  
><strong>_


	39. Yes Sir

**Chapter Thirty Eight: Yes Sir**

"So the leader of the Rebels is your cousin?"

"Yes sir. Sir, I don't want to kill him." Stephen said.

"He is a Muller, you are a Marwin. Must I make your hear the story of the Red Road again?"

"No sir, but I think it doesn't have to come to that. I could..." Stephen's argument was cut short.

"He is a rebel! He cannot be reasoned with!"

"Will more bloodshed solve anything?" Stephen argued.

"If that's the only thing they'll listen to, then yes!"

"You don't want them to listen. You want to wipe them out." Stephen said.

"Have I lied to you and said that WASN'T what I want?"

"You say all that bullshit about bringing Canada back but...if we kill all of the America descendants...how the hell many are going to be left in this country? You'll be expanding the wasteland with bodies!" Stephen continued to argue.

"We can rebuild."

"After we destroy Canada ourselves?" Stephen said, refusing to let this go.

"If we must destroy Canada to destroy the infection...well, it will be done. The true residents of this country will live on...and we will rebuild from the embers."

"God damn it, we should be rebuilding from the embers right fucking now! Yet you want us to fight a pointless war for things that happened over two centuries ago!" Stephen yelled.

"We will not let them get away with what they did!"

"Those who did all of that are atomic smoldering ash, they have been for, again, over two centuries!" Stephen continued to argue.

"No...that's not good enough. I know the whole idea of laughing at the person who ends up drowning in the same flood that THEY themselves caused, but that isn't good enough for me. Their descendants will suffer for what they did."

"God damn it, this is pointless!" Stephen argued.

"It is not pointless while they still breathe."

"You're blinded by hate! If you were the leader of New Canada, then New Canada will burn itself down, trying to kill something that isn't there, or something that is now just trying to get by in the city." Stephen said.

"The Rebels? Just trying to get by? Hah! You've seen them, you've dealt with them, you know they are insufferable selfish assholes who will do anything to get what they want! When they invaded the Water Purification plant, did they care about the citizens that would have to go without water until the matter would be resolved? No. Did they care about-"

"What about the Rebel who killed several Republic soldiers who was about to kill one child and a father, and all the father did was try to steal some food so his son wouldn't starve!" Stephen said.

"A thief is a thief. If we show special treatment because oh, life is so bad for them, even though we protect the city they live and do nothing in, we keep the borders safe, we keep the radiation of the West City at bay, we stop the creatures from breaching our walls, and still Rebels spring up! Nothing but selfishness..."

"So you're saying because you don't like their cause, all of them are corrupt and need to be wiped out?" Stephen said.

"That's exactly what I'm saying. If not, nothing good will come of it. Even if they think so. Now, radio silence, go and fucking do your mission of taking the water back!"

"...Yes sir." Stephen said.

**End of Chapter Thirty Eight: Yes Sir**


	40. Unavoidable By Him

**Chapter Thirty Nine: Unavoidable By Him**

"I can't believe a bunch of asshole rebels were capable of taking the water building THAT easily." One of the Republic soldiers said.

"Says a lot about how good we are at our jobs." The second Republic soldier said.

"Is Beta group in position?" Stephen asked into his radio.

"Yes. The monkeys who are still in the sewers won't know what hit them." A voice answered back.

"Are you sure we'll have enough water so the mission will succeed?" Stephen asked, wanting confirmation.

"Definitely. They must have went through the pipe to get to the water purification building in the first place, as the pipe was from the Surplus Water. But to get through it you'd have to open the cover, which would result in draining all of the Surplus Water into the sewer, which explains why the water level in the sewers is already elevated. Since Jack made this plan we've been keeping more and more water, just for the moment to commence said plan. He said he was going to radio you before he was going to do this...how'd that go? As I know you and Jack have very different views." The voice answered back.

"About as well as you'd think." Stephen said. "Alright, this is Alpha team leader, and I'm beginning the attack." Stephen said into the radio, broadcasting his message to every member of the Beta Team, and the Alpha Team.

Alec and the Alpha Team soldiers went to open the door of the Water Purification Building, but he couldn't get them open.

"They blocked and locked the door, I think." The dim-witted Alpha Team soldier said.

"No way, they did? THE EXPLOSIVES YOU MORONS! The explosives!" Stephen yelled. The Alpha Team began to set their explosives in front of the Water Purification building's door.

Beta Team soldiers were all around the city, at the manholes that led into the sewers, and opening large barrels of water. All of them began to dump the barrels of water right into the sewer. Very quickly the sewer was filled with the water. The water level simply continued to rise and rise. The gushing and flowing water ended up knocking down the ladder that went up to the water purification building via the pipe, and it was taken away by the current.

The water made it's way to the Rebel Headquarters' door, and it began to leak through it. Joe quickly scrambled and tried to keep the water out by keeping the door entirely shut, but all of the water's force pushed the door wide open, overcoming Joe.

"It's all over, isn't it?" One of the Rebels said, as the water began to fill the headquarters.

"No...we swim for the ladder! If not, we all die down here!" Joe yelled, not knowing the ladder was gone. None of them truly know how to swim well, but they were going to try as hard as they could.

"Come on, Oscar." The father said.

"Dad, I'm scared." Oscar said.

"It'll...be alright. Take a deep breath before the water fills the room, and hold it for as long as you can, okay?" The father said.

"Okay..." Oscar said, scared.

They all began to swim for the ladder, leaving the Rebel Headquarters behind in a desperate attempt for their survival. They also left Alec's eyebot, EEB behind. A final recording was unlocked by EEB, and EEB itself sent it to EAGLE, before it's inevitable doom as the water rose. But so it wouldn't end up killing the fleeing and swimming Rebels, EEB deactivated itself before the water touched it.

All of the Rebels swam valiantly, and as best as they could, however, by halfway to the spot where the ladder used to be that lead up to the pipe, some of them began to run out of air. Oscar turned around in the water due to hearing noises coming from behind him. One by one, the Rebels began to struggle, and instinctively, began to gasp for air. Obviously, they found no air at all. Joe, Oscar's father, and Oscar himself were the last ones left with him on this swim.

They quickly continued to swim towards the pipe, and when they reached it, Joe couldn't hold on any longer, and drowned. Oscar's father suffered the same fate, but Oscar didn't see either of these, as he was too occupied with desperately swimming up the pipe, as he was running out of air also. He reached the top, his head emerged above water, and he finally gasped air. He was in the pipe, that all of them had swam to get to, but he had no way to get to the ledge so he could crawl into the Water Purification building, as the ladder was gone, and he couldn't reach it due to the fact he wasn't fully grown.

He then realized the horrible truth. Not only was there no way out of this, but...where was his dad, or Joe? They couldn't have ended up like the others...could they?

Oscar took another deep breath and found the courage to go back into the water he himself had almost died in. He found his father, and Joe, floating in the water. Dead.

Oscar was entirely devastated, and the lost any will of survival. In the end, he, the lone survivor of The Flooding which was what the event was called in the future, swam back down to be with his father...together.

It was a sad fate, but unavoidable...

At least...unavoidable by him...

**_End of Chapter Thirty Nine: Unavoidable By Him_**


	41. No Going Back

**Chapter Forty: No Going Back**

"Well, that's all of it. What was our order after we finished?" One of the Beta Team Soldiers asked, kicking the now empty barrel of water.

"To join Alpha team's assault on the water building." The second Beta Soldier replied.

"Great...drowning rats was much more fun than the job of having to get shot at by a bunch of damned Rebels. Alright kiddies, I know you had fun drowning a few rats, but now we have to manually put the rest of the litter don." The Beta Team Leader replied to the entire Beta Team.

"...Don?" One of the Beta Soldiers said, adressing the Beta Team Leader's error.

"What? I said down. We have to manually put the rest of the litter down." The Beta Team Leader said.

"...No, you said down. I heard it." Another Beta Soldier said.

"...Yeah, I know, that's what I just said." The Beta Team Leader said.

"Wait no, I meant to say you said don." The Beta Soldier said, making an error himself.

"...What? God damn it quit wasting time! Go! The Water Building!" The Beta Team Leader yelled, getting them back on topic.

"Fine fine..." One of the Beta Soldiers said, beginning to move towards the water building.

Alec emerged on the roof of the Water Purification building with the sniper rifle that the Republic Sniper who was up here had originally. Kevin had got a hold of it after it dropped with the sniper, and like many otherthings, Alec had no idea how he got it. He sniped two of the Alpha Team soldiers that were still configuring and messing with the explosives. However, they had just finished, so it didn't matter in the end, as the explosives went off, and blew the door open.

The Alpha Team Soldiers ran inside, instantly ducking behind cover as a hail of gunfire came down at the intruders.

"Canada will become free!" One of the firing Rebels screamed at the Republic.

"You all will die today!" One of the Alpha Soldiers yelled, successfully shooting the taunting Rebel right between the eyes, killing him instantly.

"We would rather die than have to see you control all of us like puppets." Another Rebel shouted.

"Puppets? If you were all puppets then we would have cut the strings long ago! You are just traitorous assholes who have no loyalty or trust!" Another Alpha Soldier yelled, but this time he was the one who got shot between the eyes.

"Bullshit! What about all the people you kill and persecute, the two towns you wiped out?" Yet another Rebel shouted, firing.

"All of them are enemies to the Republic!" The Alpha Soldier yelled, reloading his rifle.

"Why are they labeled enemies of the Republic? What did all the children and women you've killed do to you?" Another Rebel shouted.

"The leader has his reasons!" A Beta Soldier shouted.

"Oh, so you're nothing but your master's lapdogs like we originally thought!" A Rebel mocked, launching one of the Republic grenades they had scavenged from Republic corpses.

The Alpha and Beta teams' soldiers quickly dived, but two or three were not fast enough and got blown apart.

"Alec! It's time for this to end, cousin!" Stephen barked up at Alec who was still on the roof, sniping Republic Soldiers who were still moving inside.

"We aren't cousins! You've made that clear!" Alec yelled.

"Despite our differences...despite everything that has happened, we are still cousins. But even cousins, end up killing themselves." Stephen yelled.

"Gee, you've made me feel so much better." Alec yelled.

"Muller and Marwin are just two names that are meant to destroy each other. I bear Marwin, you bear Muller...but this time, I'm unsure who is the hero, and who is the villain. The Red Road...it was clear, no question about it. But...now..." Stephen said, unsure.

"You were about to execute me. You serve as the head executioner of the same assholes who killed your father, our town, and another town! You kill for those who would kill a boy for his father's selfless crime, to feed his son. You kill for those that would starve it's own citizens! You would kill for those that force a part of the original builders of the town into a sewer because they refused to allow them to grab complete control of the city! You would kill those for those who want everybody with a different type of blood pumping through their veins dead!" Alec shouted.

"I never lied about any of that, I never hid anything from you. I didn't execute you, and I didn't attack you at the Water Building the first time I saw you, despite what I said. You don't want to go down this road, Alec...but, then again...it's already too late. There's no turning back. You can't escape through the sewers anymore, you're cornered like a rat. You made your choice...and now I'm making mine. You rejected the possibility of getting away from Toronto to prevent this all from happening, so now it's over, cousin." Stephen said.

"Do not call me cousin! We are enemies now, or did you forget?" Alec yelled, shooting at Stephen.

"I did not want you to stay in Toronto, because I knew you would join the Rebels, I knew you would give them leadership, and I knew you would come back and fight the Republic. War, will only hinder Canada's recovery. I do not..share the same beliefs of my leader, I don't have to. If you look at the Republic and the Rebels...which one do you think would be more able to take back and reform Canada? A group of Rebels with shoddy equipment fighting for their own selfish means, or a large faction who is highly equipped, has high numbers, and their number one goal is getting back Canada. They do not care for the pleas of the people, sure...but they provide their neccessities while conquesting Canada. They don't have much food, they don't have much water...but they have enough to cling to life. After they finish their goal, they're going to change and help the people..." Stephen said.

"How do you know? Your leader is a madman." Alec yelled.

"A madman...yes. I know that. I have a plan...but first, the Rebellion must be stomped out like an out of control fire." Stephen said.

"Stepping on the people on the road of conquest does not make a strong government. It makes a dictator. Having certain people killed for their bloodline...that is even worse. A genocider." Alec said.

"I told you, I don't share his views." Stephen said.

"Don't fucking lie to me. You've had a grudge against Americans in Ottawa...your hate for them resurfaced during our trip to this city several times." Alec said.

"I have no love for the pre-war Americans, but I wouldn't lash my grudge against those who were only descended from them." Stephen said.

"That changes nothing!" Alec yelled, lining up a headshot on his cousin, about to fire, but Tim ran up from behind him and pushed him, causing the sniper rifle's shot to go through the sky.

"I will not let you kill your own blood! Even if he's under a different banner!" Tim said.

"Then he will kill me." Alec said, knowing that a fight between Alec and Stephen were inevitable.

"He has had two chances to kill you already, and you're still standing! Think, idiot!" Tim said.

"So what, I should be thankful?" Alec asked.

"You should not be so quick to kill him!" Tim said, he looked down, as if shameful. "I...killed one of my own blood before. He was of the Republic...a high speaker. He spoke to encourage and inspire the troops of the Republic. That was all. He killed nobody, he treated not one American descendant bad, but I...still killed him. When you shed your family's blood...there's no going back." Tim advised.

_**End of Chapter Forty: No Going Back**_


	42. Werdonosoratak

**Chapter Forty One: Werdonosoratak**

What is this? I don't even know. Not the end, just an analysis maybe. My name? Does it matter? No. What matters is the story being told by the person, whatever their name is.

Canada.

A foolish conquest for a dead country...or is it truly dead? The two armies will rip each other apart, until they can tear each others throats out.

The Republic.

A group that will use order and control the people no matter what, and if their leader's beliefs remain intact, half of the country will be littered with corpses. How can a nation arise from ashes, if the leader that is trying to bring it back has citizens of said nation executed in the streets?

The Rebels.

A group that justifies killing by claiming that they are doing it for a selfless cause, but the fact is that they want to be in power themselves.

The Rebels and the Republic grabbing at their own throats, wanting to disembowel each other. The people suffers because of the actions of both. Both are incapable of leading...the Rebels, too generous, the people will be happy, sure, but the city would crumble. The Republic, obvious. Dictators always fall in the end, it's just that they're usually replaced by another dictator. Sometimes, it's even the one who was rebelling in the first place. They will squeeze and step on the people too much, and another Rebel faction will rise up. If Jack, their leader, remains in power though...Canada will be littered with bodies who died for the sins of people over two hundred years ago.

Starvation, poverty, suffering, crime.

None of these are truly preventable in this type of world. You can possibly stop one, but another problem will just shoot up...they're like weeds. Neither the Republic or Rebels would be able to stop all problems and make a perfect civilization. Human nature won't allow it. They would have to strip them of all their rights, control every single person and every single thing that went on in Canada, and more importantly, have control of their free will.

Free will, gives you the ability to disagree, to differ, to rise up against them. I heard a funny type of story once. Something about two ancient orders. One, hoped to secretly control the world and hold it with puppet strings, claiming that without control, there cannot be peace.

And the bad thing is, that's true.

The second ancient order worked secretly in the shadows to take down the previously mentioned order. They hoped to get the people to learn the truth, and be able to run their own lives, instead of being controlled from the shadows.

I don't know who won. I have a feeling that neither did, and it just resulted in much, much death. Which this war against Republic and Rebels will result in.

If both factions will be the doom of Toronto...and Canada...where is salvation? Hm?

Searching for salvation, is a foolish task, also called setting yourself up for failure. You cannot grasp hope, it will just lift you up onto a cloud...

And if you're not lucky enough?

...You'll plummet to your death. But I know of a place, that holds salvation inside. A civilization, formed by one of the five groups from the five Vaults of Canada. It's name? I cannot tell you. It's hidden away in the heart of Ontario somewhere. In a forest of dead, dried, trees...where the beasts roam free clawing any tresspassers. There lies a solid, stone, door. The legend goes, you whisper the name of the civilization to the stone door...and then it slides open. Most likely done by a person, unless something mystical or magical is hidden away in some dark room of some damned disease filled pre-war building in Canada that I haven't heard about.

The corrupt, cannot enter, and those who are filled with hatred, are turned away as well, though there was a rumor that they solved some people's hate, to extinguish the flames within, and allow them inside. Some say that it's a civilization, untouched by war, untouched by hate, untouched by allegiances of any kind except the one between people. No labels, no names, no nothing. It is unknown how they made their civilization underground, it is also unknown how they get food or water without giving away the location of the civilization.

All who enter it...never reveal the name to outsiders when interrogated. Without knowing the name of the town, you have no way inside. They make sure that you are not either a Rebel, of the Republic, or filled with hatred. Trust me, they have their ways. I know.

As I was one of them. But I am an old man now...I have no more use to give to them. Sure, they begged and begged for me not to leave entirely, but I know I had to. If only to give them more room...my time is soon. I will at least give one person the key to the civilization...unaffiliated with either faction, away from hatred, and looking for a true home, not the shell that is the trophy city of Toronto.

Canada...is not on the surface anymore. That Canada, was burned away...the Canada of this era...is underground, Werdonosoratak.

**End of Chapter Forty One: Werdonosoratak**


	43. A Beacon Of Hate

**Chapter Forty Two: The Centaur, A Beacon Of Hate**

The Centaur growled and roared as he dragged the new victim down into the cave. The victim screamed and cried, begging for mercy and his life, but he would not find any mercy. The Centaur had other plans for the captive.

"Why are you doing this?" The captive screamed.

The horse part let out a very loud roar at the captive.

"Oh, don't play that game with me, I heard you speak out there!" The captive yelled.

"Okay, so you eavesdropped on me. If you respond to me anymore in the remaining duration of the rest of your life, call me by the name of Zekken." The Centaur's man part suddenly spoke.

"Zekken? That's a strange name. And the remaining duration of the rest of your life? That's repetitive..." The captive criticized.

"I don't like critics. You know what happens to them? They get eaten by Ed. And as for my name being strange, you're talking to a being that is a man fused with a horse. I still miss my eyes. Burned out of my skull." Zekken said.

"What were you...before this?" The captive asked.

"I think a mountie in the pre-war days. Probably was riding along minding my own business, and then? BOOM! Atomic fire, reborn as a man horse that devours humans. Et cetera, et cetera..." Zekken said.

"Why do you capture people like this?" The captive asked.

"I just said. I devour humans, as I still need to feed Ed and myself. Ed, is the horse part of me, he isn't me, has his own personality, just can't speak. I speak sometimes for him when his feelings are escalating. He's more brutish obviously. Some were vendettas actually." Zekken said.

"Vendettas?" The captive said.

"Hunters, mainly. They see me and go, "Oh! A unique looking creature I've never seen before! Time to kill it!" Longest vendetta I've had and still have is against a hunter named Stephen. I learned his name from watching and hearing him with his cousin as they traveled. I'll kill him before this is all over." Zekken explained.

"Why do you want to kill him?" The captive asked.

"He's tried to kill me so many times I've lost count! Actually, that was the first time I ever needed to count, and was shocked that I still knew how to." Zekken yelled.

"More bloodshed does not make a right." The captive said.

"Oh...well then, I'll just stop and turn my life around, and go be a wholesome member of society. Wait, what's that? Oh right, yeah, I forgot. I'm a man horse." Zekken said, with all the sarcasm he could muster up.

"A sarcastic one, too." The captive said.

"What would the world be without sarcasm?" Zekken asked.

"A joyful world?" The captive answered.

"More like, boring world." Zekken said.

"So, are you going to eat me, let me go, or...?" The captive asked, curious about Zekken's intentions with him.

"I don't know. Some strange feeling...I haven't spoke with anyone since before the war, I think. I don't have many memories of the time that came before." Zekken said.

Zekken suddenly felt intense pain as a image appeared in front of his eyes.

"That was very strange...a boy? I..." Zekken shook it off. "Anyways, as long as you try not to attack me, or Ed, then I will allow you to live. I may even let you go one day." Zekken said. "I just realized I should probably ask your name." Zekken said.

"Jallow." The captive said.

"Strange name, as you called mine." Zekken said.

"Yours IS strange. But if you must know...it's a tribal name, alright? The tribe I came from is long gone, but...I kept my name." Jallow the Captive said.

"What happened to them?" Zekken asked, curiously.

"Doesn't matter really. They were all horrible people, and deserved what happened to them." Jallow said.

"...Are you a horrible person like your tribe?" Zekken asked.

"...Yes, because I allowed them to do what they did for so long." Jallow said. "Murderous, thieving, conivery, trickery, torture, mocking, cannibalism. Monsters, all of them." Jallow said.

"Did you have a hand in it?" Zekken asked.

"...I caused it all, on purpose." Jallow said. "The flames surrounded all of them. Burning them alive. I got the children who doesn't already indoctrinated out before the fire. Those who were in the campe were beyond saving...from themselves. Even when burning, they fought each other for their own survival instead of trying to cooperate." Jallow said.

"Do you ever regret it?" Zekken asked.

"I regret the children I saved not being there after I came back. I regret that the wildreness of Canada...lynxes got to them first. I regret that I...I felt joy as I watched that camp burn. Theimage will never escape my mind. Forever the camp will burn. A beacon of hate." Jallow said.

_**End of Chapter Forty Two: The Centaur, A Beacon Of Hate**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>So it's come to this. Filler to reach the 50,000 mark. Oh the shame. Part 2 of ANDoHa will be next NaNoWriMo...<strong>_


	44. First Aid

**Chapter Forty Three: The Wastelanders, First Aid**

"Jesus Christ!" Rast screamed, as grenades flew at him as he scrambled through the snow to get back to the other defending wastelanders of the tiny town.

"Well? How many of them are there?" Justin screamed, reloading his home made rock-it launcher that shot anything that was loaded into it, and by anything, he truly meant anything. He was loading knives into the rock-it launcher.

"So many, man. Damn it, I thought the Republic helps Canadians in time of need? This isn't helping at all man!" Rast screamed, panicking.

"They're a bunch of asses. Why, in my day..." Lean was about to go on telling a very long story that had no purpose at the time, so Justin quickly got him to stop his story.

"There's no time for that, old man! Hand me the teddy bears, duct tape, lighter, and dynamite!" Justin yelled at Lean the ancient wastelander.

"Fine, you young whelp...but this ain't nothing, why in my Vault we fought so many outside threats you wouldn't even have..." Lean was interrupted by another defender of the town.

"God damn it, Wrinkles! We don't care! We're getting shot at by insane fucking raiders, so maybe you should quit fucking babbling and pick up that fucking rifle next to you and shoot, damn it!" Waldo screamed, reloading his rifle behind cover.

"I'll make you show respect to your elders after I kill all of these youngsters alone!" Lean yelled, picking up his rifle out of the snow.

"What the hell are you making Justin?" Atticus asked, after shooting one of the raiders in the distance.

"You just work with me here! This'll work definitely!" Justin said, duct taping two sticks of dynamite to a teddy bear, lighting it, and stuffing it into the rock-it launcher, and shooting it at the raiders.

The teddy bear landed in the middle of a cluster of raiders, who instantly looked down to investigate the random teddy bear. "What the hell...do you think it's a distraction?" One of the raiders asked.

"Aw...what a cute looking teddy bear-wait...is that a flame?" Another raider asked, as the dynamite teddy bear went off and blew the entire cluster of raiders apart.

"...I can't believe that actually worked." Justin said.

Suddenly a blood covered raider with what appeared to be long raider-made wristblades began to approach the group from behind.

Rast turned around just in time to find out that he was about to get the entire group by surprise.

"Holy shit!" Rast screamed, firing his rifle at the blood covered stealthy raider. The raider dodged all of the shots, and sliced opened Rast's stomach, before running off.

"RAST!" Atticus screamed, having been too caught up with the other raiders.

"Oh God...it's...just a flesh wound, right?" Rast cried.

"Nope, that asshole carved you open." Atticus said.

"You...you could have lied to make me feel better, ass..." Rast said, his voice fading.

"Damn it, that guy came out of nowhere!" Atticus yelled.

"I'm sorry Rast, but the doctor's dead, and even if he was alive, I doubt he would be able to...help you like this." Waldo said, trying to resist the urge of puking while looking at Rast in between bursts of firing at the raiders.

"Put him out of his misery, it'd be a lot less painful for that youngster." Lean said, killing three raiders before having to reload his own rifle.

"Damn it you assholes! Learn how to aim! That insane fuck Mynos actually managed to sneak up behind them while you're just wasting ammo up here!" Warren, the lead raider yelled.

"I'm sorry captain!" One of the raiders screamed.

"...Captain? What-you know what never mind, just keep shooting you idiot!" Warren yelled.

"Argh...so...who's going to put poor Rast out of his misery...?" Rast coughed, in very bad shape obviously.

"I can't do it..." Waldo said, deciding to go back to shooting raiders to keep them out of range, as they stopped advancing every time a few of them died.

"I'll do it." Atticus said, stepping forward to do the deed that nobody else would. He shot Rast in the face with his rifle, bringing his life to a gory but quick end. "We gotta watch for this wristblade asshole unless we want to end up like Rast." Atticus said, showing his trait of being a leader.

They all went back to shooting at the raiders, being mostly successful as the raiders were in the wide open snow, while the wastelanders were behind cover that they had made and placed on the road for firefights such as this one.

"What the hell! We're supposed to be badass raiders, and you bitches aren't doing anything!" Warren yelled, highly irritated. "And where the fuck did Mynos go?" Warren yelled, even more irritated at Mynos' disappearance.

"Hey Warren." Mynos said, behind Warren, his mouth bloody.

"What...what did you eat?" Warren asked.

"Nothing." Mynos said, pretending to be innocent.

"Bullshit, your teeth are covered in blood." Warren said, knowing Mynos better than that.

"Oh...are they? Why, I...I don't know why they're covered in blood." Mynos said.

"You fed again, didn't you. I told you not to do it so often!" Warren yelled, hitting Mynos for discipline purposes.

"I couldn't help it! It was fresh..." Mynos said.

"God fucking damn it, the more I blow up with dynamite teddy bears, the more that appear." Justin grumbled, irritated at the lack of the raiders' will to die.

"That's their whole advantage, idiot. Raiders usually are in large numbers, see, if you had the experience old Lean had..." Lean grumbled back.

"Either way we're not going to be able to hold them for much longer. I mean there is no infinite amount of ammo behind any lump of snow..." Waldo said, sarcastically. Suddenly a bullet landed right in Waldo's right shoulder. "Fuck!" Waldo screamed, dropping his rifle and falling back behind cover.

"God damn it, I'm going to stick those rifles right up your asses!" Lean yelled, killing about another four raiders.

"Jesus fucking Christ, maybe I should try to employ the Old Man as a raider, because he's killed like twenty of us already...god damn it, I'm sick of this shoot at each other bullshit! CHARGE IN!" Warren yelled. The remainder of the raiders led by Mynos, let out a war scream and ran towards them. Even though the group had killed many of them, the raiders' numbers were still greater than their own.

"Shit! Melee weapons!" Atticus yelled, seeing that the raiders were taking a melee approach now. Atticus grabbed a spear, Waldo kept his rifle, but he ran until he was some distance away due to his new injury, Justin had grabbed his wrench because it was the closest thing near him, and Lean used his fists.

Atticus impaled one of the raiders that were rushing foolhardy right towards him. Waldo shot about two of them in their chests, but he was aiming for their faces. Justin began to beat one severely over the head with his wrench, and Lean had actually tackled one and began to pummel him with his wrinkled fists of pain.

"God damn it, SWARM THEM, don't just let them take you guys one by one!" Warren yelled, furious at the lack of the raiders' dirty tactics.

So three of them caught Atticus, and ripped the spear out of his hands, two of them dodged Waldo's poor aiming and got him, several took Justin by surprise when he wasn't looking, and many had to constrain Lean.

"Finally!" Warren said. "...Now kill them." Warren said.

"That seems like a let down, all of that fighting and then just a forced execution." Mynos criticized Warren.

"Well what the hell else were we going to-what the hell is that thing?" Warren suddenly yelled, pointing at the interrupting deathclaw which was standing in front of them all.

"That looks like something you would definitely run from." Waldo grunted, holding his right arm due to the bullet still in his right shoulder.

"Quick! Let's leave these raiders as bait!" Atticus screamed, suddenly pushing down two raiders that were in front of him, making a run for it. The others shrugged and followed his lead. Even the old man ran, but as he ran he wouldn't stop complaining about his aching knees.

"Hey you assholes!" Warren yelled, quickly taking the chase to the group. Mynos looked at his chasing master and then back at the deathclaw. He was torn, he wanted to follow his leader, but he also wanted to fight the deathclaw. He sighed as he sprinted to catch up to Warren. The other raiders screamed and cried as they put together a feeble attempt to resist against the raging deathclaw, but it was of no use, and all of them were torn to shreds.

"Uh...boss? He's chasing us." Mynos said to Warren, as he saw the deathclaw following them as they followed the wastelander group.

"Oh shit! RUN FASTER!" Warren yelled, increasing his running pace. They all ran a far distance, and then into a cave of some sorts, and the wastelander group had looks of confusion on their faces when they saw Mynos and Warren enter behind them.

"You were the asshole leading those raiders! And you were the asshole who killed Rast!" Waldo said, enraged.

"Look, let's put the past behind us and PUSH THIS DAMNED BOULDER IN FRONT OF THE ENTRANCE BEFORE THAT THING GETS IN HERE!" Warren yelled, feebly trying to push the boulder next to the entrance of the cave by himself. Mynos joined in, and eventually even the wastelanders did, as while none of them liked Mynos OR Warren, they disliked that deathclaw even more.

They successfully blocked off the entrance of the cave, though there were still tiny cracks, openings, which air and light could get through.

"You fucking assholes! We should kill you right now for what you did to our town, and for Rast!" Atticus yelled, also enraged.

"Well, you can't, and neither can I. I dropped my weapon when that whatever-claws came running after me. You guys left your weapons there. In fact, the only one here WITH a weapon is Mynos, but that's because they're attached to his arms. Though, that doesn't help me or you. I mean being in a dark cave with a no doubt cannibal...yeah, you don't want to get in a bad spot like that." Warren said.

"I'm not a cannibal." Mynos said, innocently.

"I never see you eating the meat of our results from our hunts, or anything else, you go on mysterious trips for random amounts of time, and when you get back, you're covered in blood and have a burlap sack full of mystery meat, and then you finally eat." Warren said.

"That doesn't PROVE anything." Mynos said, denying everything.

"Yes it does, Mynos." Warren said, getting frustrated.

"Both of you shut up. If we can't kill each other, then there's no use to bicker pointlessly." Atticus said.

"There's always a use to bicker pointlessly..." Lean grumbled.

"Anyways, I say we explore this cave...who knows what may be in here...hell, this could be the nest of the very same creature we got done escaping from." Waldo said.

"No, you're not going anywhere Waldo. How's your shoulder?" Atticus asked.

"Not in horrible pain, believe me." Waldo said, obviously lying.

"Lean, I know you have some medical experience, and all it is is his shoulder, so use the first aid kit to help him and remove that bullet." Atticus said.

"Oh so what, because I'm the oldest I just have to have had some experience as a doctor, right? Is that it?" Lean asked, taking offense.

"Well obviously you're not a cosmetician. I mean look at that face. Ergh." Waldo joked, even in pain.

"Look, do you or don't you?" Atticus asked, simply.

"...Well, it so happens that I do, but not because of my age." Lean grumbled, pulling out the first aid kit.

**End of Chapter Forty Three: The Wastelanders, First Aid**


End file.
